From Texas To China With Love

More Weight Loss

2007-08-09T10:44:00.000-05:00

I am now at 119. I have regressed a little on eating out. I had a few margaritas, some really good Mexican food. Still, I lost weight. Amazing. The weight loss is slow, but I am still amazed.

I am not weighing myself every week. I think I will do a check every two to three weeks. My clothes are fitting looser. They don't hang as well and look a little frumpy.

Lost A Few LBS

2007-07-16T14:54:00.000-05:00

Going into the company exercise room, I hesitated weighing myself. I thought I have lost about 2 lbs. When I weighed myself, I had lost 4 1/2 lbs for a weigh in of 122 1/2lbs.

The work week last week wasn't difficult, but the weekend was excruciating. Scott is eating what I make, but he still chooses to stop at the fast food places on our way to and from the bay house. I refuse to eat the salads those places have because I am really bored with them. One more week to go on phase 1.

I am glad to be back in the office at work because the gals I work with eat very healthy and love to exercise. I am not into exercising yet, but quicker weight loss goals may help prod me to go walk a few miles a week. They don't know I am trying to lose weight and eat healthier, but their habits are helpful in encouraging me to lose weight.

By the way, eating healthy is expensive! Especially when fast food specials are not an option or my weekly meals of mac and cheese or spaghetti. Mmmm...spaghetti. I have to go think of something else to do because my mouth is watering.

South Beach Phase 1 - Day 1d

2007-07-10T13:47:00.001-05:00

Weight: 127 Height 4ft 9in BMI: 27.5
-- (ideal Weight 115 with a BMI 24.9)

Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Breakast: 1 large mug of coffee with half and half and 3 tsps of Splenda. I know this doesn't count as breakfast.
MidMorning Snack: Nothing
Lunch: tomato,mozzarella, olives, and vinegarette type of salad which I bought at the grocery store deli. Cucumber, tomato, onion with vinegarette salad. which I bought at the grocery store deli. Small can of albacore tuna. No soda. Only water. I had to throw away the majority of tomatoes because there were more than I should have in one serving. Also, I drained the vinegarette dressing out of the containers because they were drowning the vegetables.
MidAfternoon Snack 1 : 1 1/2 celery sticks with a wedge of light Laughing Cow Swiss spread.
MidAfternoon Snack 2: When I got home from work, I was hungry. So I ate a small dill pickle and 1/w celery stick with Laughing Cow spread.
Dinner: poached salmon and sauted squash. It was actually quite good. Scott doesn't like squash, but commented he did like "this" squash recipe.
Evening Snack: sugar free Jello cup with a teaspoon of light whipped cream topping.

I know, I know, 12 pounds doesn't seem like a lot to lose, but it is a significant amount of weight for a short person to lose. Basically, loosing 12 pounds will take me from a size 12 petite to probably a size 8 petite.

Progress Report

2007-07-09T21:07:00.000-05:00

Before & After remodel of piling columns

The Bay House: Scott, my dad, my uncle and a friend of the family have been working on the first floor patio area covered in cement board. Originally it had greenback board (yes, which is an interior product) used on the ceiling part of the patio. Also, the pilings are getting covered in cement board. The pilings have creosote (hazardous black tar) weeping out of them. The previous owner just painted over them. How many coats of paint can you put on? We just decided to give them a façade with cement board. From the picture, you can also see we have a new roof color. We had the roof replaced about a month ago.

Adoption: We are almost at our 14 month LID anniversary. We let our fingerprints expire. We now have to renew our I-600A (what ever it is called) before September 30th. However, we need to get a new home study done before we set it up and go get our fingerprints redone. We will have to pay for the fingerprints, but may not have to pay for the I600-A renewal. Since the free renewals are a new policy, there is some confusion whether you pay for a I600-A if you let your fingerprints expire. Good grief!

We are speculating we will get our referral around December of 2008. Which is 2 1/2 years after LID.

Recent Book Read: Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende. It was an okay book. I am thinking of reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire next. I have had the paperbacks of this series for years and have only read the first two. I probably won't get a chance to read the book until September when I take a week vacation.

Recent Movie: None. We are too tired when we get home. However, we buy a lot of $5.50-$9.00 DVDs and take them to the Bay House to watch. Which is good considering we only get two TV channels which are snowy.

Other things: I will start the South Beach Diet on Tuesday. My sister-in-law is an endocrinologist and she read the book. She said she would advocate me being on the plan, but gave me a stern lecture about seeing my doctor and exercising along with the diet. She said (and I have to agree) she hates diets. She said for me to look at it as a life change.

I have gained quite a bit of weight in the last year. Since I am only 4ft 9in in height, any weight I put on is significant. Which makes losing weight painfully slow. Losing weight on a person 5ft 5in is different than a person really short. I am going to weigh myself today, but I won't do another weigh in until I finish Phase 1 which I plan to do for 3 weeks.

I have been on South Beach before, but I quit during Phase 1 in week 2 because my moods swung dramatically. I am not sure why. But one moment I would be sweet and the next moment I would be spitting nails. Literally Doctor Jeckel, Mr Hyde. Also, I was extremely tired. I slept fine, but I was exhausted by the end of the day. I may not have been eating enough. This time I am going to drink a lot more water and fill up on the filling foods like salads, vegetables and get enough lean protein. I also have been planning to get on this type of life change by studying recipes and changing how I cook. I don't think it will be hard to miss the white bread and white pasta because food manufacturers have made vast improvements on whole wheat products.

Scott said he would do the diet with me, but to not criticize him if he chooses to go get a hamburger for lunch. The thing I don't plan on doing is baby sitting his meals. He sometimes wants me to cater to him especially during lunch. If I make a sandwich, he wants me to make him a sandwich. But if he had sandwich material within 3 feet of him in his office refrigerator, he would NOT do it. I haven't been able to figure out that mystery. Very strange behavior. I barely can muster the energy to make my own lunch in the morning, let alone my own breakfast. It takes a lot of effort to make an extra plate! Okay, I guess I should change my attitude considering our little one will need to be taken care of. Scott is actually worried about us having kids because he sees that I have a black thumb with the plants and the dogs would probably go hungry and die of thirst unless they knew how to get my attention at the feed and water bowls. Scooter will whine at his water bowl and paw at it. If that doesn't work, he will follow me around the house and stop at the bathrooms or kitchen, then stand on his hind legs and stare at the sink faucets or get into the tub. He is only 6 inches tall!

Weekend House Remodeling

2007-06-05T13:49:00.000-05:00

Scott and I are about to start remodeling the weekend house. It has been a hassle getting quotes for jobs because everything down there moves at a snails pace. Also, folks who don't want a job don't bother to call back with estimates. Then to complicate things, there are not many people to choose from. We have been working on getting estimates since December. It is even more frustrating than the adoption wait!

However, next week we hope to get a new roof put onto the house. We are waiting for a quote for a deck and new windows. We also need a new septic system, but can't put it in until an electician gets back to us with a quote. Such a vicious circle. Well, the task of getting quotes is up to Scott. I got tired of it and I suspect he didn't think I was doing a good job because we couldn't get anyone to show up to get quotes. Now, he feels my pain.

(WHAT IS UP WITH THIS BLOGGER?? I can't find the buttons to make bold and underline text! I'll have to check my settings. I don't remember making any changes. FIGURED IT OUT. I have the most up to date version of Firefox. Switched to Internet Explorer, now I see the usual page. Very strange. I wasn't even able to save an entry in Firefox. Thank goodness I pasted it to a notepad. )

Well, Scott and I decided to pull up carpet in the "very" small hallway. SEE PICTURE ABOVE. So, we had to tear out the old tile. Turns out the people who owned the house really give home improvement ingenuity a new meaning. The house was built in the 70's and particle board was popular to be used as an underlayment for carpet. I think? Since the house is in a humid area and more than likely has suffered hurricane damage in the past, the particle board swelled and warped. So, they really wanted to put tile in the bathroom and the hallway. Instead of replacing the particleboard flooring, they instead nailed wire mesh (which is used for stucco) on the floor and then used grout to float the floor and leveled it. Then layed down the tile. The problem is the floor expanded and contracted which caused the grout to crumble. It tooks us nearly 2 hours to pull up an area smaller than 30 square feet. We had about 150 pounds of grout, wire mesh, and tile put into 8 contractor sized garbage bags. I can't believe that much material came out of such a small area.

The bad news is it looks like we eventually have to pull up all the flooring and replace the particleboard with plywood. That would explain why we feel the floor is bumpy underneath the carpet. Scott isn't look forward to pulling up the tile in the bathroom. It has the same flooring as in the hallway. It will probably take a whole day to pull up the floor.

Our goal is the have the house renovated by mid-November. Scott and I made an agreement that after Father's Day, we will have no guest over so we can concentrate on the projects we are going to tackle ourselves. However, we still want to have time to go out on the boat. So our rule is work hard on Saturday and have fun on Sunday.

1 Year LID anniversary

2007-05-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

Well, we officially hit the 1 year mark a few days ago. They day came and went without any ceremonious events. Honestly, it just slipped my mind. If we were close to receiving a referral, perhaps I would have marked the day with a cake or going out to eat.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-12T22:12:00.001-05:00

...to all the moms and waiting moms.

Well, lunch was a success except only mom showed up. My step-dad and grandfather were in a mood and decided to stay home. So, I have a lot of food leftover. So, I had to freeze most of it.

The ice cream turned out great despite of how I originally thought it would turn out. It was really delicious and smooth. No more buying ice cream. Unless it it one of those urgent "time of the month"-"can't wait, have to have it now" moments.

Cooking Up A Storm

2007-05-12T21:42:00.000-05:00

Do you know that saying, don't experiment with cooking when you have company coming over? I didn't head that warning. I slaved away in the kitchen all day to prepare my mother a Mexican luncheon, but don't have much to show for my efforts.

ENCHILADAS
I made beef enchiladas by the boat loads. I tried a new enchilada sauce recipe (bad idea), but it didn't come out the flavor I expected. However, when I put the fixings together, the combination wasn't bad. Since I was going through all the labor of love, I froze half in casserole tins for later I-am-to-tired-to-cook meals.

SALSA

I also made homemade salsa -- my first ever successful batch. Mine always came out watery. This time I used fresh ingredients and cooked them before putting in the blender. Although I think the blender purees too well. It still taste good. I used serranos instead of jalepenos. Man! Get me the waterhose!

QUESO DIP

This was a complete flop. I accidentally covered the pot and walked away from the stove. Although it was on very low heat, it still bubbled over. What a complete mess on the stove and then cleaning the pot was another story. I usually make queso in a slow cooker, by throwing Velveta, Rotel Tomatoes, and a splash of milk a few hours before an event. BUT NO! I had to try a new recipe. What a $5 waste of money. It wasn't the recipe's fault. I turned my back on it while it was simmering.

ICE CREAM

Then I made a blackberry custard so I can put it in out new electric ice cream maker. This is the first time I made ice cream ever. It was also the first time I used my KitchenAid standing mixer. I had to go online to look up how to set up the mixing paddle and bowl. I already had put the milk and sugar over the heat. What wonderful timing to try to figure out how to use an appliance.

Four hours later, the custard is still isn't thickening. Backup plan, homemade peach cobbler. Thank goodness I bought frozen peaches and can make a mean cobbler in no time. YES, we have store bought vanilla ice cream. I bet you my guest are going to want the vanilla. Ha!Ha!

CHARRO BEANS

I've never made this side dish either. Started with dried pinto beans. I sorted out all the bad beans. Put the good beans in a pot of cold water. I am soaking the beans over night so no one gets the toots. Ha!Ha! Tomorrow morning, I'll drain the water and put fresh water in. It takes about three hours to cook.

MEXICAN RICE

No new recipe. I'll cook this dish tomorrow an hour before every shows up.

FLOUR TORTILLAS

Heck, after all the cooking, I didn't have the energy to make them from scratch. I went to our grocery store where they make fresh ones in the bakery. I'll heat them before everyone arrives.

GUACAMOLE

Easy to make. I will let Scott handle making it since he has a good recipe.

MARGARITAS

I bought a whole bunch of limes. Tonight I am making "simple syrup". Normally, I go the easy route, but mom specifically asked for it, so it thought I would go through the effort and make it special.

Man! My back and feet are killing me! The problem with making yummy food from scratch is that you get a reputation for making certain dishes and then people always want that dish. I guess I will call it an evening and go soak in a hot bubble bath.

God's Answer

2007-05-11T21:47:00.000-05:00

God has always been good and provided for us. Sometimes the answer we seek isn't always replied to in the way we thought it should be requested.

When Scott and I were starting out in the early 90's, we were broke. He was in university and I was working a full-time job and a part-time job. We had a tough time financially, I made stupid financial decisions and let my car payment slip. The car was repossessed. Not a proud moment in my life. The sad thing is, I only had a year to pay on it. We need a car so I could get to work. I had to quick my full-time job because it wasn't on the bus line and kept the part-time job. No one would loan me money now that I had a repo on my credit report. I asked God for a car (and I saved up cash while I waited for an answer). Eventually a neighbor let Scott take his old truck and make monthly payments on it. It got us around, but Scott and I had opposite schedules. He fixed computers at people's houses. So, I asked God again for a car. A few months later Scott was on a business call and told me honey, the lady has old VW bug she will sell us for $350, how much do you have saved up? Uhh..$350 -- really weird, aye? It worked, but it was beyond old, it was falling apart.

I had to laugh at God's sense of humor. The bug worked, but the floorboards were rusted out and the seats had no cushion on them. Scott took the back seat out because it was so bad. He welded in a piece of metal on the floorboards and backseat area so nothing would fall through. So I had a two seater "minibug" and used the back seat area to haul the dogs and groceries. He then put on slipcovers on the front seats.

Scott and I always bring up the story about a man who ask God for help as flood waters trap him in his house and eventually surrounds the house and ends up on his roof. He is sent help three time and the man's answer is always "God will provide". Then the man drowns and ask God at the pearly gates why he didn't provide and God replies that he sent three people to help.

So, Scott and I are always on the lookout for the unobvious answer to our questions.

What I Will Do During the Wait

2007-05-08T13:02:00.000-05:00

As Scott and I come up to our year anniversary of LID, we wonder how much longer we have to wait.

We were disheartened to learn only six days were in the most recent referrals. Although, it is better than last month's two days of referrals.

I as talking to my sister-in-law in the summer of 2006 telling her we were buying a weekend house. She mentioned she thought we were adopting, so why are you buying a weekend house. By then we knew the wait was going to be perhaps longer than 12 months and we had adoption money we could spend on an investment property. She could only respond"Oh. Hmmm...funny how things can change quickly in life".

It is true. When we started the international adoption process, we were coming out of being grieved parents of losing an inutero child. No one could have forseen not carrying through a pregnancy, especially when we announced we were going to try to get pregnant. When we announced we were adopting from China, no one could have foreseen the long wait.

I have to say the weekend house has been the best thing to keep our mind off the adoption although our adoption thoughts are always nearby. Not to mention it has been good for our relationship as well. We have remodeling projects planned for the summer which will require more money to spend. I have been doing some fishing which still isn't my favorite thing to do, but allows me to spend time with Scott. I also picked wild blackberries from our neighbor's field the last few weekends.

My personal opinion now is we will get our referral in May of 2008 (24 months). No one flame e-mail me because it is just an opinion. Although I am wishing for a quicker referral than that time frame.

Been thinking of doing:

Some of the things I have been thinking about doing during the wait is taking some real estate classes and getting my real estate license. Other things I have been thinking about doing picking up sewing again. Not that I was really good at it, but I have been wanting to make some curtains for the weekend house. Scott wants to redo the game room and make it into a home theater room. We have had trouble selling the pool table. Looks like a lot of people are wanting to do what we do. Last but not least, keep my blog up to date. On the three and half hour drive home I have a lot of time to think. Some of my thoughts are positive, others are not.

What I have done or doing:

One thing I have done recently is plant some herbs in containers. Not an earth shattering activity, but I have a black thumb. Meaning, I forget to water the plants. I also had Scott buy me new washer and dryer as well as dishwasher. My old appliances went to my grandfather who moved into a house next to my mom and stepdad. I am also looking for a new job. We had a reorganization and I think my job is in jeopardy because my work load has dropped dramatically. Not a good thing when you are an administrator considering those jobs are the first to go. There are lot of senior administrator jobs available, but not at the pay I am currently getting. At least I see the writing on the wall and I am not in denial about not getting laid off. I can act before the ax falls. God has always taken care of us, but usually the answer I receive is not always the one I expected (I'll probably write a blog entry about it soon).

What I won't be doing:

I won't be shopping for baby clothes or baby furniture right now. We also won't be buying a new vehicle unless Scott's vehicle bites the big Oreo. We will probably do these when we get closer to referral. Besides, Scott and I can't agree on a replacement vehicle. I want a minivan, but he wants a huge truck. However, we are in agreement they both suck up too much gas.

Until later.

Blackberries!

2007-05-06T23:17:00.000-05:00

I've never picked blackberries before. These were found wild in our neighbor's pasture. It is back breaking work. My first try at this, I was in flip flops, shorts, and short sleeves. I learned that in order to get the good blackberries, I have to wear jeans, boots, and long sleeves.

The picture is from my last trip to the pasture. I think the season is coming to an end because most were shriveled from the heat.

My motto... look (bugs & snakes), listen (for snakes), lean. BUT THEY ARE GOOD and worth the effort.

I have enough to last two or three weekends of cooking. Scott and I washed them, dried them, laid them on cookie sheets, and stuck in the freezer. We then put them plastic seal-o-matic bags to store them in our freezer. I finally get to break in the electric ice cream maker we got for Christmas.

Many First

2007-05-01T08:12:00.000-05:00

I started this entry on February 2nd and found it in my drafts. I was re-reading it and it made me smile and chuckle.

As I was looking out the window at the bay, I realized that there have been many "first experiences" since we bought the vacation house.

The first time we actually did without cable for a whole week. We only get two channels. One is decent reception, the other you can hear really well, but get snowy reception. We contemplate getting satellite, but can't justify the cost for 10 days of viewing. Besides, the only time we want to watch TV is during bad weather. Isn't that when satellites have problems? Oh, and we only get six radio stations really well. Out there we get Christian, Country, Oldies and Spanish/Tejano. Personally, not my type of music. I lean more toward pop.

The first time I caught a flounder, sheepshead, and black drum. Scott can't wait until I catch a redfish (also known as a red drum). He says if you catch a big one it is like having your line caught on the bumper of a fast moving car. I'll have to take his word on that because I never rode a bike, skates, skateboard holding on to the bumper of car. Since, I wrote this in February, I have caught a "legal size" redfish. It pulled hard, but not like Scott described it. He told me to wait until I catch a redfish that is larger size, then I will know what it like to get hooked on bumper of a car.

The first time I became interested in doing outdoors type activities. Sometimes we drive 40 miles a way to Matagorda Beach and picnic even though it is the middle of winter. We get the whole beach to ourselves. I am starting to have quite a collection of shells. When my mom heard about my collection she said it didn't surprise her since I used to love to go fossil hunting.

The first time I have been able to talk myself out of buying a new car vehicle because I have the buying bug. I instead reason with myself and ask how I can invest the extra money.

The first time family decided our bay house was a better place to have Thanksgiving than having it in Austin. The family is already talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas 2007. Scott's mom is excited to spending the Christmas holiday on the Texas bay.

The first time Scott and his dad spent more than a few hours together. Just as a bonus he got a chance to meet my family as well as one of Scott's cousin who hadn't seen since he was a toddler. Scott and his dad were not on speaking terms until last April. Scott's dad wasn't around while Scott was growing up and then they briefly met when Scott was in his mid-20's. That visit didn't go to well. Anyway, Scott wanted to tell his dad he forgave him so he wouldn't be a hypocrite asking his own children for forgiveness. His dad was difficult to find, but after a few months of internet searching I finally was able to piece together a few slivers of information. To make a long story short, his dad and I got along well. He mentioned to Scott before departing that Scott married a good woman. Perhaps it was because I didn't judge him and asked him to show me how to cook a few of his favorite dishes.

This was the first Christmas in a decade since Scott's mom had all her children under the same roof with her. Not to say we haven't been under the same room, but it was under Scott's half brother's dad. Yeah, Scott still keeps in touch with his ex-step dad. That was because of me too. I told him he should reach out to his ex-step dad so his half brother wouldn't feel so awkward talking about his dad's family. Apparently, Scott and his ex-step dad had falling out when Scott's mom decided to get a divorce. Scott naturally took his mother's side. Scott and his ex-stepdad had a falling out. However, that is water under the bridge and his ex-step dad now calls on a regular basis. Note: I guess family is very important to me. You can't choose your family, so you make the best of it. My motto is don't cast stones at the glass house. We aren't perfect, so we shouldn't judge our family based on their behaviour. Sometimes they don't act in the most appropriate or civil way. I think Scott has benefited quite a bit from my view on "men" kinfolk. The majority of mine are known to be scoundrels, rakes, gamblers, and drunks. You can't make them change their ways. So, I accept them as is. I can't change them if they don't want to change their ways. Scott says I have a good heart because I always try to see the good in people.

The first time I have seen such a variety species of birds. The coast is a winter nesting ground for several birds. It is quite frustrating to see a bird for the first time and not know what it is. I've seen spoonbills who are white, but their feathers are tinged with various shades of light pink because of all the shrimp they eat. Sandhill cranes which are as huge as ostridges. I've also seens loons, kingfisher, ducks, white pelicans, and brown pelicans. All of these from the outside of my window. I can watch them for hours.

The first time I got to see a wild dolphin up close. I was sitting on the dock (of the bay - bad pun) and had the crap scared out of me. I didn't realize there was a dolphin in the area. I was day dreaming and heard a violent commotion in the water. The dolphin was only a few feet from me when it attacked a school of bait fish. I got a close up look at its face, dorsel, and fins. I love watching them swim in the bay. They do it a lot in the fall, but this winter only a few times. The bay where our house is at is an inner bay, so the water level is usually shallow during the winter.

The first time I experienced life in a really tiny town. It is a challenge to do things that I take for granted in Austin. Such as a variety of furniture or appliance stores, having a drugstore open 24 x 7, stores being open on Sunday, being able to buy a good imported beer, high speed internet, having a Lowes or Home Depot down the road, having more than one channel on TV, having city sewage rather than a septic tank. There are trade offs though. It is a sleepy town with a really nice beach close by. The small town used to have a nice man made beach, but the last hurricane washed most of it away. The town is slowly recovering.

The first time seeing what the chemical plant burnoff looks like at night. This totally scared the crap out of both of us. It was about 7:30 pm on a Saturday night when we heard a boom and felt the ground shake. The shake turned into a low rumble. We looked out the window and saw a bright fire glow in the horizon. We almost packed up and left. It was a few hours later when we realized that there was no danger based on how our neighbors were reacting. Umm..they had no reaction. Nobody was looking out there windows. We felt like total morons.

Two Days Of Referrals

2007-04-09T15:41:00.000-05:00

I was so surprised to get that news. October 25 & 26 of 2005 received their referrals.

The slow process is really wishing we went with an agency which deals in other international adoptions. I don't know if we would change countries, but it gives us an option.

I just hope the 2 days doesn't become a trend. I am actually hoping for a double month referral.

Neighbor is PG

2007-04-02T23:30:00.000-05:00

I have a neighbor who is about 7 months pregnant. Apparently she is nesting. I was outside letting the dogs do their business and heard jack hammer and scraping noise in her kitchen. I looked over and there was some guys breaking the tile in the kitchen/breakfast nook area. When I looked closer, their whole downstairs tile was being pulled up. The house is only 4 years old.

Mentioning nesting...I too have started to get the nesting itch. Now that I knowwe are 10-12 months from getting our referral (WE HOPE). I have been looking at toddler furniture and thinking of ways to decorate the baby room. My mom even said she would buy the furniture. Since I am not sure if we are getting a boy or a girl, one or two, age one or two, we aren't buying furniture right away. But I am thinking of colors for the bedroom. I'm trying to choose a primary color. I then can choose a secondary color when we know the gender. Pottery Barn Kids catalog is a good springboard for ideas. I love their furniture, but not the prices.

I've also been trying to figure out how I am going to stay home for 3 or 4 months after we get our referral. I will have about 2 months of vacation accrued, but will need to save up money for the remaining months I am off. We won't be able to swing it on Scott's salary alone since we have a weekend house mortgage and new boat to pay for. I am not complaining about the purchases. We knew exactly what we were doing and realized they would complicate my yearning to stay home for a few months to help ourselves and our child adjust. I don't think it is fair that women who are pregnant and work in large companies get 12-16 weeks of paid "medical" leave. It isn't as if all new moms have medical issues for that amount of weeks. New moms don't have to take all that time off, but who is going to balk at paid leave and say "oh, I want to come back 3 weeks after giving birth". Perhaps there are a few, but majority of pregnant women I work with take the whole time off, plus ask for additional leave of absence. It isn't fair.

Okay. Enough complaining. I can't do anything about paid medical leave, but at least I have unpaid FMLA for 12 weeks with job security.

Sick as a Dog

2007-03-29T13:13:00.000-05:00

I am sick as a dog today. I thought I would catch up on blogging since I have been ignoring updating my entries and I am confined to my bed.

Scott and I have been keeping ourselves busy with the bay house. I've been decorating the house. Scott has been busy doing home improvement projects and working with contractors to get bids for the huge home improvements projects.

It is really tiring keeping two households. If we spend time keeping one house clean, the other house gets messy. Since the bay house is the smaller house, we choose to keep it clean. However, our city house is a pig pen.

Last weekend we decided to stay home for the weekend and clean the house. I think I found enough dog hair balls to create four new dogs. We also had a friend who was moving give us their stainless steel refrigerator and 64 inch big screen TV. BIG is the magic word for both. Scott had take the screen door off the front of the house to get the refrigerator in. The big screen TV takes up most of the floor space in a small living room.

Yesterday the big screen died. We could get sound, but not a picture.

Scott and I have been really enjoying the bay house. It keeps our minds off the long adoption wait. However, we do say constantly " our daughter will really enjoy (fill in the blank) " or "I wonder how daughter will act on the drive to and from the bay house." We kid each other about the meltdowns during the 3.5 hr drive. I see a minivan with a DVD player in our future.

We are still really anxious to get our referral. Scott's mom renewed her passport and saving up money for the trip. I'm not sure if I mentioned in earlier postings, but Scott's mom is a psychologist who specializes in child attachment. She is going to help us out and be an extra hand. We are really excited to have her go with us. I told my mother not to be offended that we didn't ask her to go. Afterall my mother is really picky about what she eats and is so closed minded to trying anything new. She would be in utter culture shock.

I've been catching up on my blogs. Wow! I've missed quite a bit. The twins have adjusted, the sisters are getting along with each other (most of the time), Johnny and family are in China meeting with their new addition (CONGRATULATIONS!) , Lori and family are trying to keep themselves busy while waiting for their referrals. Ditto for Sandy as well.

Happy New Year

2007-01-04T12:56:00.000-06:00

We spent New Year's Eve at the Bay House. Actually, we are still here trying to use up some of our vacation time which we were told has hit maximum accrual. We are trying to keep it at the maximum limit so we can use it for our adoption trip to China and time to stay home with our child. Considering we may not be getting our referral this year, we will just be playing this "using just enough vacation" every few months by taking a day here and there.

Anyway, New Year's Eve passed uneventfully. We sat at our window watching the fireworks the neighborhood children and child like adults were setting off. By 10:30 we could barely keep our eyes open. I guess we are turning into old people. Fortunately, our close by neighbors called it quits by 11:00 and we were able to sleep without any firework noise. We awoke to a new year.

On January 2nd, Scott and I celebrated our 8th year wedding anniversary. Scott barbequed ribs and brisket. It took nearly 12 hours for the meat to finish cooking, but they were oh so tender and yummy.

The fishing has been off this week. Scott hasn't had any bites at all. So, maybe he has to switch his tactics? We aren't familar with the area to know what lures to use during this time of the year. Hopefully it will pick up during the weekend so Scott can go back to work with some fishing stories.

When I get home to faster internet connection, I'll upload some pictures from our trip in Carmel California.

Christmas in Carmel, CA

2006-12-30T20:02:00.000-06:00

Well, we are back from our annual trip to Carmel. Scott's mother lives there and it was her year for Christmas. We did the normal touristy things: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Highway 1 scenic drive, picnic on Carmel Beach (Yes, in December!).

The last time all of Scott's siblings were under one roof was four years ago. His mother wants us to get together annually, but his sister always has to plan two years out. I love my sister-in-law, but I don't get the two years out thing. She says the family is big. Umm...heck...I have a large family too. Probably even larger, but somehow I even make it work. So, at the dessert table, we had this large conversation about when we are going to get together and it was decided at our house in 2008. Scott's sister said it was expensive to get together every year. Yes, I know it is expensive to travel cross country to meet with family, but you have a year to save up. Mom had to go on a long walk after the conversation -- it was drizzling! She was crying when she reappeared. No one wanted to talk about it.

The good news is Scott's mom said she may be selling her house in Carmel Valley and moving to Austin. It may take her a few years, but she is quite alone out there. Scott's sister lives between San Diego and L.A. I think his mom feels by moving to the Valley she would be able to see her daughter and grandkids more often, but the truth is Scott's mom had to make the trip. Very rarely did Scott's sister and husband visited since it was an eight hour drive. Mom usually made the drive to visit Scott's sister.

Scott and his mom talked earlier this month and I think he convinced his mom to move to Austin. She even announced it at the Christmas dinner table to her children and nieces. By moving to Austin, she would have a more affordable lifestyle, be close to her sons, and be able to be a part of our child's life.

No Holiday Decorations

2006-12-23T07:41:00.000-06:00

Well this year we got into the festive spirit - NOT. We were the only family who didn't decorate their house this year on our street and cul de sac. Very sad indeed. We have a small oak tree which is rather scrawny. Scott was tempted to put a single shiny ornament on it with just a little tinsel for a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, but then again we already have neighbors who think we are strange.

On the 24th we get the joy of traveling to California for our semi-annual mother-in-law visit in Carmel Valley. We have Scott's cousin, who just moved to Austin from Louisiana, staying at our house to take care of the house and our emotionally sensitive dog, Heidi. He is looking forward to staying in a house which has room to roam rather than his cramped apartment. Scooter is staying with grandma and grandpa.

Christmas came early for the dogs. We got Scooter a new bed and cat sleeping bag. Yes, a cat sleeping bag. He is smaller than a cat and sometimes suns himself in the natural light coming through the windows. He wasn't too keen on the sleeping bag, but it unzips and we covered him. He LOVED the bed which is really soft and fuzzy.

Heidi got a squeeky sheep and new tennis balls. Heidi loves squeeky toys. She offers them as "Hello" when we come home and when she is in trouble and nervous, she squeeks. Sometimes she just gets frisky and she will squeek the toys for 5 to 10 minutes walking around the house with it in her mouth. She also loves tennis balls. We have to buy her the tough kind from PetsMart. This time, Scott got cheap and decided to buy her the six pack PetsMart. We gave Heidi one of the balls and 30 minutes later I found it completely destroyed. At least the "name brand" splits and is held together by the felt. This generic brand she is able to chew into pieces. Very dangerous. I took a picture (see below) with her squeeky sheep and glow ball. That glow ball lights up when bounced. She has had it over a year and hasn't managed to destroy it. I had to trade her destroyed ball with the glow ball. She has a photogenic face.

Well, I am avoiding the inevitable store madness rush. Note to self, "avoid shopping at the last minute". Hah! Right!

Christmas Shopping

2006-12-10T03:27:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas, but hate the commercialism. With that said, I probably will spoil our child with tons of too expensive gifts every year, even when they are adults. For now, I prefer to get together for the holidays, but don't exchange gifts. However, again, my plea was ignored.

Scott and I had a little extra funds in our pocket this holiday season -- since we are not even near a referral date. So, I was very generous with gifts.

I spent all afternoon shopping for three gifts. What do you get boys who are 15, 17, and 24? I learned quite a bit about two stores called Ambercrombie and Fitch AND a store called Hollister. Do teens actually wear these clothes? Some of the clothes look like they been washed a thousand times. They are frayed, faded and have paint splatter stains. And you want to charge $50-$70 bucks for a sweatshirt that is in that condition? (Sigh.) Then I had to take a step back and remember my childhood and wanting name brand clothes or a SWATCH watch (remember SWATCHES?). I know my mom and dad couldn't afford the name brand stuff, but I remember how special it was when I did get a Swatch watch, even though it wasn't the particular color which was popular. Now that I think back, I can't remember what was the popular color. I do still have my Swatch, along with the accessories I bought for it with my own money. You want to know something ironic? My mom said when she was a teenager she wanted a Mickey Mouse watch which was all the rage. My great uncle got her a Cinderella watch. She said she was initially dissappointed, but was still happy to get a Disney watch. She still has it. Weird, huh?

Anyway, I got the boys who are 15 & 17 years old, the hoodies they wanted. The oldest, who is 24, I couldn't figure out what to get him. So, I got him a nice bottle of cologne. I don't even know what is popular with the young 20's crowd. So, I got him a new scent from Polo called Double Black. Scott recently purchased it for himself and personally I love the scent. I hope my brother likes it.

My sister was a challenge to buy for, but after telling her what I got our stepmother and hearing her comments, I realized she wants that gift. So, I feel strange buying a matching gift.

Now, I have to shop for the family who live in California. Scott and I are flying out there for the holidays. I am probably going to have to ship the items because getting them through airport security is going to be a hassle. I don't trust putting them in my checked in luggage.

The most difficult person to buy gifts for is my dad. That man says he has everything he needs and wants nothing. I can't think of anything to get him. I thought tools would be a good option, but then remembered his arthritis is really bad in his hands. He doesn't do much work with tools anymore if he can avoid it. I could get him a nice sweater or jacket, but he loves the clothes he has. He doesn't listen to music and doesn't watch DVDs very often. He doesn't get on the computer that often and when he does he says he needs a map to navigate the world wide web. Cracks me up! He leads a rather simple life. I'll have to think about it. Maybe actually going to bed would help. Egads! It is 3:30am!

Thanksgiving at the Bay House

2006-11-28T19:34:00.000-06:00

This was our first Thanksgiving at the Bay House. Scott and I were planning on having Thanksgiving at the "city house", but after some thought and a few calls to our guest, we all agreed it would be a nice change. Most of the guest traveled from Austin and one from Texarkana. Imagine driving your ass off for a Thanksgiving meal?

I planned everything down to a "T" and made everything from scratch, except the dinner rolls. Dinner rolls were the self rising kind, but they have their own challenges. One year the rolls came out dense and flat. Another time they came out too hard and you could knock someone out with it. I made almost everything half way cooked on Wednesday and spent Thursday cooking the food. I wasn't stressed at all because I planned well. Scott and I celebrate Thanksgiving lunch rather than dinner. This year we invited family from both sides. This was the first time many have met or seen each other since our wedding. Everyone got their fill and family laughed about nothing and everything.

After we stuffed ourselves like turkeys, the the women watched movies (and stared out the window looking at the water) and the men went to the pier and fished their Thanksgiving meals away. Here is a picture of my stepdad with a sheepshead he caught.

I don't know why that type of fish is called that, but I think it makes a "baa" sound in the water. After snapping this picture, he released it. The men fished until the sun went down which was about 6pm. Then our guest made the mad dash for leftovers to fill their tummy before the long drive home. We didn't have any food left over. Mom was very impressed with my cooking skills. Wish I had a picture of all the food I made. I was engrossed with the cooking and the men were so engrossed in fishing while waiting for the food to hit the table that no one remembered to take pictures of the food, the guest, or generic chef.

As the guest departed, we looked out toward the water and saw dusk. This was one of the best Thanksgiving get togethers my family has ever had. The weather was a lovely upper 70's and not too windy. We even had all the windows open in the house to breath in the nice sea breeze. They were relaxed and I WAS relaxed. I think we will do this again next year.

It has been a year

2006-11-24T17:44:00.000-06:00

...since Scott and I decided to adopt from China. We are still committed to continue the journey we started on over a year ago.

Protecting Your Child

2006-11-20T15:10:00.000-06:00

My friend who came back with M&M several months ago had her first encounter of bigotry. She was at the grocery store and a lady approached her and said, "you got one of them babies from China. Well, at least her eyes are not THAT slanted." She was caught off guard and didn't have a comment. When she told me this, we began a conversation about protecting our children.

Every parent's child will face name calling in various forms from strangers and family members, whether their child is biological or adopted. It doesn't have to be mean spirited. My family used to say or "When are you going to grow?" or "You are such a munchkin." My mom used to try to protect me, but that didn't stop people from telling me these things when I was alone. These comments used to bother me when I was really young, but by the age of 8, I became very comfortable with my short stature. I started to come up with statements which would flip the situation around.

We can't protect our children. I'm not sure what I would have said in my friend's situation, but I should prepare myself. My husband is really good at coming up with smart ass remarks for dumb ass comments. I am going to have to come up with some canned statements for the comments which may be said.

I hope that my child will feel confident with who he/she is and that his/her father and mother love them and respect them for who they are, respect their biological parents, their home country -- everything about them. We know their will be tough times when we are not there to protect them and we won't be able to fight their battles for them. I hope that we have the strength to help them get through the conflict and be able to learn from the tough situation so they can handle it if it happens again.

Six Month LID Anniversary

2006-11-15T16:28:00.000-06:00

Today Is our Six Month LID anniversary. Scott is coming home from a Chicago business trip tonight. I have made a fancy spaghetti dinner with a dinner salad and a nice ($12) bottle of wine. Hey! I'm a generic chef, not a gourmet cook.

Thinking About the Adoption

2006-11-14T13:51:00.000-06:00

Scott and I have finally had a chance to think about the adoption now that my work life isn't hectic. When I was working for the VP it was work, eat, sleep, work, eat, sleep.

If the trend is around 18 months, then we have 12 more months to wait. By next Thanksgiving we could hear we have been referred a little one (or two). Amazing. I hope the rumors aren't true about a 24 month wait. We all hope the time will be shorter than 14 months. The main reason I don't want to wait is I don't want to shell out more money for going through the fingerprinting process again.

A New Chance

2006-11-13T13:29:00.000-06:00

Some of you know how much of a difficult time I have had since I took the job as an executive assistant to the VP. Well, about four weeks ago (actually when I came back from vacation), she announced she was resigning. She resigned because she was exausted from all the travel. I had such a sense of relief because I was already looking for another job within the company. The hours were killing me health wise (I had gained 10 pounds over the last eleven months) and my husband was so worried about my stress level. The departing VP gave me the opportunity to stay at the company and work for a few directors or seek employment outside the company. I told her not to worry about me and give me a few days to think about it. Apparently, I made a name for myself and I didn't have to go seek because they came looking for me a few days after the announcement of her departure. I finally settled on working for two directors who I think are very self sufficient and would give me the opportunity to do some project management.

I saw this video by KT Tunstall and it reminded me that I WANT to be an executive assistant, but at this time not to a VP or CEO. I rather support multiple senior directors. This is my new motto for my career...

Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall

The last four weeks I have been transitition my tasks over to the acting VP's assistant. The new VP is located in California. We are almost finished transition all the tasks. It is good to be able to get off work at 5pm and have my new bosses do the same. I was even told to take the day before Thanksgiving off! Wow!

I still get to take off early on Friday and telecommute from the car while driving to the weekend house. Our lives are more content and calm. Life is good.

Boonies Internet Service

2006-10-21T12:06:00.000-05:00

I now have wireless internet service through our cell phone company. I agreed with Scott to not get satellite TV.

The internet service isn't fast out here, but it is faster than dial-up. Since we are near a main road, we get great cell phone coverage. If we drive out to some of the more remote bay neighborhoods which are further away from the main road, service goes in and out. I am pretty happy with the service. Especially during our commute from Austin which is about three and half hours. Scott and I have flexible work schedules and we left work early and picked up the dogs to head to the coast. My laptop has a long battery life. I was able to keep cranking out work and communicating via telephone (because I forwarded my work phone to my cell phone). It truly gave new meaning to telecommuting. By the time we got to the bay house, I was finished with my work. Although I was a little car sick and had a headache.

I wonder if service will degrade if gets rainy? Probably so, but I will have to wait until that happens. In the mean time, it is great to be able to get back to regular blogging on the weekends since it is the only time I have to update my page.

By the way, the water out here is crisp. The geese and ducks are migrating. Our area is near a major bird preserve. I always run outside to go watch the birds fly to it in perfect formation.

The flounder are moving up to the inlet bays for the winter. They say they are "running" which I think is a funny term for a fish behavior. So, they are really agressive right now. I caught a two keeper sizes last week.

As a matter of fact, I hear a fishing pole calling my name right now begging to go outside and play.

We Are Vacation Home Owners

2006-10-01T18:29:00.000-05:00

We finally closed on the purchase of our vacation home on August 31st. It has been a non-stop month of weekend warrior home improvements. It is almost like having a second job because we leave on Friday's at 5pm and come back Sunday evening. Then it is back to work.

This weekend we had a break from the Bay House. Ha!Ha! That was weird to type that sentence. Scott is on his way to a business conference and I have the "city house" to myself, but we leave at the end of this week for a week long vacation at the bay house. YES! There will be a honey-do home improvement list to finish.

The one thing about the Bay House I don't like...well...depends how you look at it. There isn't any internet service or television service we subscribe to. In regards to internet service, the only options out at the house are satellite internet and cellular broadband service. The satellite internet equipment and service is expensive and I heard if I try to access my company's virtual private network it will slow to a crawl. Cell phone broadband is about two times faster than dial-up. We are close to a tower, so I get pretty good cell phone coverage if I stand in a certain spot in the house.

Scott won't let me subscribe to satellite television because he doesn't want me parked in front of the TV. He is about to cave in though when he found out that even with our fancy rabbit ears we only get two channels. One channel we get great and the other one is fuzzy. Ha!Ha! When he is watching "The Channel" he sometimes grabs for the remote to change it and realizes we don't have any TV choices. We bought a DVD player and have been taking our movies out there. Amazing how the movies are not appealling since you probably have seen them a million times. So, he may break down in a month or two and finally get a dish.

Did I mention that when there is a second house involved, that furniture needs to be purchased? We had several hand me downs which I will be painting white over the vacation week. But, Scott and I kept smacking each in the face on our queen size bed in the guest bedroom. We were wanting to save money for a few months and we were trying to hold off on buying the king size mattress. We just couldn't deal with it. Ha! Ha! We finally went to the only furniture stores in the one horse town and bought one of their most expensive King size Sealy Posteurpedics. The first and only night we slept in it, we really didn't get any sleep because this horrible thunderstorm passed over. The lightning was incredible and it illuminated the whole bay. We could see the reflection of the lightning/clouds on the water. Awesome, but so scarry with the crackling and booming sound. Poor Heidi and Scooter was so scared. When the storm first hit, I couldn't find Scooter. Scott found him hiding behind furniture in the guest bedroom. Poor thing. Heidi kept looking at our new bed wanting to get in and snuggle like she does out our city home when there is a storm.

Last week was also the only weekend we had the bay house to ourselves. We have had guest stay with us every weekend since we moved in. Scott and I keep a calendar because we are booked up until the end of November. Ha!Ha! We have been really shocked by people's lack of pitching in. We have home improvements and they don't even help us. Also, they don't even pitch in for food. Scott has been taking the guest to get groceries on their first evening at the house and he has been amazed that he gets $20 or $30 for a $100 worth of groceries. These people are bringing their kids! What did they think? That we are giving them room and board free? How rude! Scott and I have decided to plan our meals in advance and come up with a grocery list for our guest have to bring with them. They are also on their own for entertainment. Scott has been taking people out on his boat fishing which takes away time from his home improvements. Also, these guest aren't even pitching in for gas money for the boat. It cost almost $100 to fill it up. So, Scott and I agreed that if we have chores or home improvements, they take priority over the guest. Our guest can always drive to the public pier or ask our neighbor to use their fishing pier. Also, there are festivals almost every weekend in the surrounding community they can go visit. Furthermore, they can bring DVD's to watch.

I really dislike to be harsh, but we didn't invite them. They sort of invite themselves and we haven't learned to say no. Ha!Ha! We recently had a friend try to re-invite himself by saying "my wife and I have nothing to do over the weekend". Scott replied, "Well, I hope you guys enjoy the silence of a relaxing weekend. It isn't often when you don't have to do yard chores". Ha!Ha!

Well, I will be again offline for another few weeks. Scott and I are pondering the cellphone versus the satellite internet. Apparently, one of the least expensive options is closed right now because the company is launching their own satellite this month. They need time to program it and then at the end of November they will start adding new customers again.

So many Crayons

2006-08-24T21:15:00.000-05:00

School started two weeks ago, so there is a glut of supplies on sale. Today, I was walking through the grocery store aisle and saw all the different boxes of crayons. Holy Moly! 96 crayons! I remember growing up having 8 crayons in Kindergarten, 16 crayons in first grade, and 24 crayons in second grade. I always wanted 65 crayons, but my parents couldn't afford them. BUT 96 crayons!!! The 8 box of crayons looked so dinky.

Then there are on the "other" brand of crayons. I always hated getting the other brand of crayons. The ones my mom would get me didn't write very vibrant. It was like I was coloring with a candle stick instead of a crayon.

Remember the chunky, fat, crayons for small hands? I was envious of the kids who had the chunky crayons that had a flat side so they wouldn't roll. They were less crayon, but they cost more.

Took a Huge Break

2006-08-23T21:22:00.000-05:00

I've been out for a while. I didn't really want to say what was going on, but now I can express my feelings.

I thought I was PG. Seems I really was just under a lot of stress from work and sorting out all the paperwork for the mortgage for the vacation house which caused me to be late by two weeks. At first I was scared, then a few days later I was excited. Finally, I decided to take a PG test which said "Not Pregnant". I was sooooo dissappointed. Scott and I don't have a problem getting pregnant, but the doctors have advised against it.

I was scared because of the health risk. Then I was excited and hopeful I would be able to overcome some of the health concerns. I haven't told Scott about what happened. No use freaking him out about it.

Met M&M

2006-08-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

I got a fantastic surprise from my co-worker friend "K" who got back from China a few weeks ago. She brought by little M & M. I haven't told "K" about my blog, so I don't want to post pictures I took. Little M&M was in the middle of a meltdown when they stopped by, but K didn't want to leave without me getting a live glimpse of M&M before leaving. Oh, she is so adorable. K was absolutely glowing with pride and happiness. M&M is still going through the bonding stage so she won't let anyone hold her. I told K if she needed a babysitter, I live just a few miles from her house. She said she will hold me to that offer.

The one surprise I had when looking at the pictures of M&M and the family is how well the "matchers" did with the facial features. M&M has the facial features of her daddy, but also resembles K as well. K used to laugh about who M&M would look like since she is tall, blond hair, blue eyes. Yet the family resemblence is truly amazing.

She had to go straight back to work two weeks after getting back from China. She brings her into the office for the first two hours of the day, then takes M&M to daycare. Her husband, T, tries to get off work early and pick up M&M so she doesn't have to be in daycare more than 6 hours. When T left for work a few days after getting back, M&M cried for nearly four hours and just stared out the window in her walker waiting for daddy. K said the day she left M&M at daycare was heart wrenching because the child was just learning to trust they are a forever family. The daycare called after two hours because M&M was screaming with fear and wouldn't let anyone touch her. M&M has adjusted to daycare and now actually likes it. K says they can't believe how much M&M eats. She has the appetite of a horse.

Inspection

2006-08-06T19:29:00.000-05:00

The inspection found a few things which need to be fixed and a few things which may be a major expense. We are planning a major renovation in a year, so there isn't anything that needs attention right away. We have given the inspection report and the list of things we want taken care of before closing on the house. We have asked the real estate agent to call us on Monday to let us know if the seller agrees or disagrees. We are getting kind of hesitant with hurricane season seeming to get active, but we hope IF a hurricane hits, it hits before closing.

Suffering Withdrawal Symptoms

2006-08-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

I am starting to feel withdrawal symptoms of quitting unnecessary spending until (if) we close on the house. The other day I went to the JCPenney Salon to get my eyebrows waxed. Eyebrow waxing is a necessity. I work in the corporate world and meet high profile execs as well as customers. Having a unibrow may be detrimental to my career. At the very least, it keeps people from talking behind my back about my lack of grooming habits. The salon I go to is the only place I know in my area where they are open after 6pm. Passing through the store to get to the salon, I saw all these 60% off sales on summer clothing. I had to call my mom for intervention. My hand was starting to shake as it got a mind of its own to reach for the wallet. My legs started knocking as they tried to make me walk toward the sales racks. AHHH!!!

Then today as I was driving to run to pick up office supplies for the department, I was at a red light and saw my favorite fast food joint. I could smell the burgers and fries. I was Jonesing so bad for one, but then remembered that they only take cash. Darn! I had no cash in my purse. I almost pulled over to search the floor for loose change. The light turned green and I had to try and avoid looking over my shoulder as I sped away as fast as the speed limit allowed me to travel.

Scott and I have been really good not spending money. Although we miss going to the movies, going out to eat, and recreational shopping. Although Scott did regress a week ago when he said he mysteriously ended up at the fishing sports store. He says it was like he was in a fog but when the fog lifted he was in the truck, had a bag in his hand which had "goodies" in it, along with a receipt that had his credit card and signature on it.

The most challenging part of trying to save money has been cooking every day. We have been shopping only once a week, but we don't always get what we need for the week because we are not in the habit of planning our meals. Scott and I like to cook, but we both HATE to clean up. There is nothing worse than coming home to a dirty kitchen. We try to clean up as we cook, but we sometimes get sidetracked with TV or surfing the internet on our laptops.

Scott and I also temporarily cancelled our house cleaning and lawn service. The house is getting rather dirty and the backyard is starting to look like a jungle. Ugh! I HATE cleaning the house. I guess this weekend I'll let Scott clean it because he prefers that chore to washing, folding, and ironing clothes. I don't mind doing the laundry, but Scott seems to have a lot of clothes. When I am sorting them I notice ... Scott , Scott, Scott, Scott, mine, Scott, mine, Scott, Scott ... Geez! You have more clothes than a woman! No wonder your clothes are piled mountain high -- you have too many of them.

I have to remember what our goal is ... buying the vacation home. Friday , I'll let you know how the inspection went. We are doing a day trip to Port Lavaca to walk through the inspection. If we are fine with findings, we'll finalize the contract.

Back To The Gym

2006-07-31T20:46:00.000-05:00

Work has now settled into less madness and I now have somewhat predictable working hours. Over the last few weeks, I have noticed the size 10 pants have been feeling a little tight. My waist gets pinched when I sit down. Last week I decided to wear my jeans and was very embarrassed when I couldn't zip them up or close the button -- even sucking in my stomach and holding my breath!! I guess it is time to get off my big butt and go back to the gym. I pay monthly for the darn membership, but haven't seen the inside of the building since probably last February. Really, really pathetic and a waste (waist) of money.

Anyway, I walked two miles today at 3 MPH -- about 40 minutes. At one point I decided to run a little. Since my legs are short, 4 MPH is practically running. You know you have to lose weight when you can feel your butt cheeks jiggle with each running step. Ha!Ha! Also, I have to remember to recharge my ipod because the thing had been dormant for so long that it was dead and I didn't have any tunes to listen to. I hate listening to people who are so much more fit than me running on the treadmill making thundering step noises. THANKS you really make me feel much better!

The only thing that seems to motivate me to continue with my excercise torture is having some toothpick thin chick on the cardioglide, gliding at breakneck speed (and you can see the timer on her display which is counting up the minutes stating they have been on the glider for 43 minutes), listening to her ipod, reading Vogue magazine within my line of sight in front of me. Ugh! P-U-L-E-E-Z!

However, Scott tells me not to be critical. He reminds me that this person could have been overweight a year ago and their fit body is the result of hard work and determination. Thanks honey for putting it in perspective. I get your point.

The Bay House

2006-07-28T23:48:00.000-05:00

The seller has accepted our offer! Next week we are getting the house inspected. If the house doesn't have any huge defects then we will buy the house. We've never bought a preowned house, only new construction homes. But we've learned never to buy a house without getting an an inspection. Since this house has a septic tank we are also hiring a septic system inspector. Hopefully the house inspector won't find signs of termites because then we will have the added cost of hiring a termite inspector.

By the way, doesn't it seem that when you are saving up for a big purchase incidents happen which cut into your savings?

Heidi has an infection on her paw and had to go to the vet.
Scott cracked his tooth and has to go to the dentist on Monday.
My "check engine light" came on in my car. The O2 sensor needs to be replaced.

The house is small which makes it easily manageable. Who wants to clean a weekend house when it supposed to be a relaxing place? It is 1000 square feet, two bedrooms, with one bathroom.

Why We Made an Offer on the House

Scott and I were not planning on selecting a house when we visited Port Lavaca. Sometimes though along comes an opportunity which is too good to pass up. We happened to come across a seller who was eager to sell so he could finance a new construction home which will be built a few lots down. (The seller apparently owns a few homes and lots next to each other. He has been slowly selling off the houses and the lots. I think with the sale of the blue house, he would own one house and one lot which will have new construction.) We expected to pay a certain amount for a vacation home, but this house was on the market way under what we were expecting to shell out. Not many come on the market that low. And if they do, they need a lot of interior or exterior work. The owner put in new carpet, painted the walls, new tile, and repainted the cabinets. It is move in ready.

We thought about buying a lot and building a house, but it just too much to take on when you are not there every day to oversee the construction. I don't know about you, but I am too cheap to go stay in a hotel every weekend for a year while the house is being built. I'm also too anal to just let a house be built without visiting every day. I want the contractors to know I am watching over them.

Yes, there will be the hassle of hiring a contractor for the dock and the deck, but at least those won't take months to complete. Well, the dock may take a month to build, but the deck could be finished in a week. Although Scott is getting cheap on me and telling me he will do the deck himself. Ahh honey! Then it will never get done because you'll be fishing all the time.

The dock is our neighbor's. Our dock would be built on the right.

Location for Vacation House

2006-07-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

Buy a house in the mountains? Buy a house by a lake? Buy a house on a ranch? Buy a house by the coast? The winner is ... by the coast.

What sparked us to think about a house on the coast? Well, Scott mentioned his friend saw this advertisement on television for a new subdivision in Port Lavaca, TX. Scott asked me to call to ask for more details. The real estate developer was seeking qualified investors to view the property through an exclusive appointment. That appointment was a grand opening to view the lots before they went on the market to general public. It couldn't hurt to drive down there and see. Personally, I thought it was a scam because we were not given a heck of a whole lot of information about this property. We were basically given marketing material.

I am the type of person who does a lot of research even though our decision to do something may be split second decision. Scott says I have a talent of learning the fine details. Because of this, he trust my advice. I went to realtor.com and looked at houses and lots in our price range. I called several loan companies to get an idea of the type of loans available. I called our insurance company asking for the prices of windstorm and flood insurance. I calculated what it would cost us a month in gas to drive to the coast on a monthly basis.

After compiling this research, buying an existing house became the winning choice over buying a lot. The cost in gas did hurt, but we could manage it if we took the car rather than the truck. Also, compared to Galveston and Port Aransas real estate prices, the waterfront homes in Port Lavaca are cheaper . The drive from Port Lavaca to Port Aransas is about an hour and Galveston about an hour and a half. On long weekends or our week long stays we can visit these areas.

Well, we were stuck with the appointment for the new subdivision because we had a family friend and his wife who wanted to see the property, too. Why make two separate appointments? We did tell them if we saw a lot we liked we got first dibs. Hah!

We decided to drive to Port Lavaca a day before our appointment to drive around and see what types of houses were in our price range. I had made an appointment with a local real estate company. A real estate agent drove us around showing the houses in our price range on the waterfront -- which only added up to five selections. As we were driving back to the real estate office, she slowed down and pointed out a house which she admitted she didn't want to show us because it didn't meet our criteria of having a dock, a deck, and was small. She also admitted it was way below our price range of what we wanted to spend. Huh?! I don't have a problem with paying less than our maximum spending limit. We looked inside and saw that the whole house had been completely refurbished. New paint, carpet, and tile. It had a strange addition which could easily be fixed with a remodel. She said the house had been on the market for a while because it was right next to the highway. There was a lot of road noise (not much from the back of the house) and the house didn't have a fence around it to keep the children and pets from wandering. The view of the tiny bay wasn't great, but it still was nice. Most of all, I liked the price. That evening as we reviewed the digital pictures we were intrigued by this little house.

The next day was the land grab. What a circus! The company had potential buyers meet at a local community center close to the development. The company had all their representative's cars lined up to take the customers out to the property in one swoop. There must have been about fifty cars ready for the land grab. We waited nearly an hour in a large air conditioned tent along with our friends to get our name called. There was a huge selection of snack stations -- which our friend's kids spent most of their time. Finally our name was called. When we introduced our friends, the rep went to get another rep to take them out in a separate car. We then were corraled to the car until all potential buyers were safely situated in vehicles. As we waited for the flag to be dropped, the rep showed us the plat. This was the first time we had seen the plat with prices. Scott and I picked a few within our price range. Over the walkie talkie, the manager told the reps that the "caravan is starting". The cars proceeded in an orderly fashion to the subdivision. Once we were in the subdivision it was a mad dash drive to the lots we selected. The representatives wasted no time getting us to the lots nearly hitting other cars and customers. There were so many people! There were probably 5 perspective buyers looking at each lot. Immediately the sold stickers went on the lot signs and the walkie talkies blared "lot blah blah in section blah blah has been sold!" There were even people fighting over waterfront lots because their rep didn't get the sold sign put up fast enough. There were representatives who had no customers. Apparently they were given the go ahead by remote buyers to purchase sight unseen. I tell you it was crazy!

But Scott and I remained cool and collected. I am so glad we had looked at other properties in the area the day before because the lots and the bay views were not as good as some of the properties we previously saw. For the price of the lots, we could buy a waterfront house with a dock.

The views from the "land grab" property had two minor imperfections. The bay had two huge, rusting, ships which were sunk by hurricane Claudette in 2003. The bay isn't very deep, so the top part of the ships were still above water. The acreage next to the property had a huge steel fabrication factory spewing gray smoke. Lovely. The waterfront lots also had a lot of marsh grass which would require a very long dock which could easily push us over budget.

After we returned to the circus tent with a very dissappointed sales representative to wait for our friends, it took us five minutes to decide what we wanted to do. We called the real estate agent and said we wanted to make an offer on the little house.

NOTE: Austin isn't a stones throw from the coast. It is about a 3 hour drive to Port Lavaca. Not close, but still not a hardship drive. Wait until we get our little one. We will wonder what the heck we were thinking about while on the long drive in a confined space with a screaming inconsolable toddler! Ha!Ha!

The Wait

2006-07-26T11:51:00.000-05:00

From today's news about referrals, LIDs through July 13th, 2005, Scott and I may be in for long wait. Whether it is rumor or not. We have mentally prepared ourselves for 18 months to 24 months before we get our ray of sunshine. While some people may balk at the time frame, Scott and I are perfectly fine with the wait time. Sick, I know.

I've been missing in action the last few weeks because we have been pondering what we are going to do. Well, we finally made a decision a few weeks ago quite suddenly. We are NOT backing out of the adoption. We are NOT decorating a baby room. We are NOT remodeling the house. We ARE buying a vacation/weekend home.

We've been thinking about it for many years, but we were discouraged a few years ago when our real estate agent (who sold us our current home) told us a typical mortgage for a vacation home was 20% down and 15 year note. A few weeks ago, on a whim, I called our mortgage company to get specifics. I was told they offer 30 year mortgage with 5% down on vacation homes. I was completely floored. You mean we could have done this years ago?

I just kept thinking of all the money we wasted buying crap that I don't even remember buying. Most of the money probably went to dining out at lunch and dinner. Scott and I have quit cold turkey. It has been trying at times because we come home tired, but we get through the cooking and clean up because we have a common goal.

Needless to say, we are very excited. Scott can't wait to start building lifelong memories together in our vacation house with our ray of sunshine. He was telling me last night he can picture taking him/her out on the boat fishing. I chuckled because he will be sadly dissapointed if this child hates fishing. Maybe that is why he made sure some of our life pictures included him boating and fishing?

Been on Vacation

2006-07-08T19:08:00.000-05:00

Bet no one missed me :-) It was good to get away. We didn't go far. Okay, so it was a 7 hour drive, but Texas is so big that going over a state line by about 15 miles just doesn't seem like it was far. We went camping at an Arkansas state park called Millwood Lake. It was the only thing we could find that had a week long space available. Can you believe that that all the popular state parks we like to go to in Texas were full?

By the way, Scott and I rented a pop-up travel camper with air conditioning. So, it really wasn't roughing it. He really missed bringing his fishing boat. I don't think a day passed without him mentioning that he wished he could have brought his fishing boat. Sorry honey. I wouldn't have gone on the trip if I had to sleep in a tent during the middle of a scorching summer.

We were about 50 miles from the Caddo mountains near Lake Ouchita. We packed a picnic lunch and took a day trip out there. They are more like foothills to me, but they have beautiful trees. When I think of mountains, I think of the Rocky Mountains. Still very breath taking scenary. I've haven't seen a trout stream in a long time. Since it was midweek after a holiday, we had the place to ourselves.

Millwood Lake, Ashdown, Arkansas

Me and Heidi walking along the trout stream in Glenwood, AR. I can't believe Heidi kept the bandana on all day.

Wow! The stream is so clear. We had to keep Heidi from jumping in because we didn't want a wet dog in the truck. She nearly dragged me in a few times. The water was really cool. Wish I had brought a bathing suit.

Picnicking on Lake Ouchita. I dropped a chip and Heidi is sniffing it out.

View of Lake Ouchiata from the park bench

The most interesting thing that struck me was the gracious hospitality of the people in the area. I was in a grocery store (which are so small compared to the mega grocery stores we have in the city) and was suprised by all the "hello's" from the local folks. Older men tipped their hats. The people look at you square in the eye and say "good day". There were people in there who knew each other who would stop in the small aisles and talk. I had to turn the cart around to go around through another aisle. No biggie. I wasn't in a hurry. I must have looked a little lost (I think it was shock) because the manager came up to me and asked if I needed help. I told him what I needed and he walked me over to the area where the item was located. When I was finished paying for my groceries, I picked up my bags and took about ten steps when the carrier came running up to me and grabbed them from my arms. He was quite concerned that I was carrying them myself. He apologized for not getting to the counter sooner to help me out.

It is also a slower pace of living. It definately gave fast food a new meaning. We were at this drive-up barbeque place and it took 15 minutes for two brisket sandwiches -- and we were the only ones there. Also the rdrivers were driving slower than the speed limits and they would drive on the shoulder to allow us "fast" folks to pass them.

Scott and I talked about the adoption. We can't believe that sometime in the next year or two we will be sharing camping with our little ray of sunshine.

Next vacation is in October. We rented a house on the beach near Galveston. We rented this house last September to recover emotionally when we lost our son. It was so peaceful that we decided to go back. We invited friends along and their two young sons age 10 and 7. Since the kids are in school, they will only be able to visit on the weekend. Scott and his friend will take the boys out on a charter fishing trip. The women folk will stay behind and probably go shopping. Scott gets such a kick out of being around those boys. I know he is hoping we get referred a son. Personally, I am hoping for the tiny chance of getting fraternal twins of a boy and girl.

Household Tip #2 : Knife Sharpening

2006-06-24T10:58:00.000-05:00

I had a few good comments about cleaning the coils of the refrigerator and thought everytime I learn something new, I would add it to my blog. I sometimes feel really stupid not knowing these household tips, but you know, if I didn't know, maybe someone else didn't know either. If I can help a few people out, then it was well worth posting the entry.

Household tip #2 is to get your knives sharpened professionally. No matter if you have a gourmet brand, $5 Wally World, or garage sale pickup. You can cut yourself worse with a dull knife than a sharp knife. I don't know if that is true, but my husband always says that.

I enjoy watching (the keyword is watching) the Food Network. Especially the show Good Eats. Alton Brown goes into some scientific and historic detail when he is teaching a recipe. In one episode he was talking about the difference between honing a knife and sharpening a knife. Very eye-opening indeed.

Our set of knives are Henckel Pro-S. We've had them for about five years. My husband has been honing them and has asked me in the past to get them professional sharpened, but I never understood what the difference was between the two. Why get them sharpened when they were being honed or sharpened at home with one of those whetstones? (By the way, Scott would be horrified if he knew I actually have sharpened HIS knives with a whetstone. I'm not supposed to have a whetstone in the house or ever hone without adult supervision. Ha!) The show went into very detailed explanation of the two. They basically said get your knives professionaly sharpened regularly, use honing between knife sharpening visits.

I searched all around Austin and finally found a place on Burnet Road which sharpens all types of blades. When I told Scott the address, he wasn't surprised because it is in area where there are many thrift stores and businesses catering to people who need to have things repaired. He joked that the knife shapening place probably taught knife throwing classes.

I took in ALL my cooking knives. Including steak knives, meat scissors, a cheap $2 fillet knife, and a broken boning knife. I was so scared taking those things to the car. I put the knife blocks into a box because I was afraid of caring them individually in a bag and having a blade rip through and pierce my foot! I drove up and down Burnet Road trying to find this place. The address kept alluding me [litteraly a hole in the wall place], but I finally found it. I had to park in the back. I was so glad a brought the knives in a box because it was about a half a block walk. [ Not to mention what I would look like caring a handful of knives. Someone would have surely called the police stating there is a deranged woman walking around with knives] As I was walking past the warehouses in the back toward the knife place, I heard this log chopping sound. When I reached the back part of the building of the knife place, there was a group of people in the alley....taking a knife throwing class!! I busted out laughing!

They said it would take a few hours to get all the knives sharpened. When I came back to pick them up, I heard an even louder log chopping sound. They were teaching an ax throwing class!! I had to laugh even harder. I wanted to take a picture with my cell phone camera, but I thought I would distract them and cause an accident.

Anyway, they did an awesome job sharpening the knives. I was surprised they were able to create a pointed blade with the broken boning knife. This knife was expensive and somehow (probably faulty workmanship) it broke when Scott was cleaning a fish. This happened was many years ago. I was too lazy to figure out how to return it to Henckels. By the time I figured out how return it, the broken off piece of the blade had been discarded. So, they made it into a peeling knife. Wow, I wish all small knife handles felt that heavy.

The steak knives did a great job during my father's day steak luncheon. I thought the knife sharpener was going to destroy my serrated edge, but it didn't. I had already decided if they couldn't sharpen the steak knives, I was going to get rid of them. My dad was commenting how tender the steak was because the knife cut through it so easily. I told my dad about the knife sharpening service he began examining the blade. He looked at my step-mom and asked her to remind to get the address and phone number.

The total service for about 20 knives was about $45. That may be more than what you want to pay if you have bargain knives, but I tell you, it makes a world of difference. I have been chopping up a storm the last few weeks.

My husband thinks I am such a goofball [and he is probably right] because I keep telling everyone about getting my knives professionally sharpened. It really made a difference in needing to cook versus wanting to cook.

Turning Over A New Leaf

2006-06-24T06:47:00.000-05:00

In the past three or four months I have been rather down because work has been really stressful. I've read several self-help books on happiness in the workplace which really haven't made a difference in my attitude.

On Thursday, My manager (The VP), came into my office to talk. Our company had announced major organization restructuring and she inherited another department which increased her headcount by about 40 people. So basically she will be running two organizations. I knew this was coming because she had warned me a few weeks ago. During our conversation she wanted to know how "I" was doing. I told her I was burned out from working so much overtime because I was responsible for two job roles and needed a long vacation. [A little background: I had asked for two week vacation in July about three weeks ago and she said no. This week, we had a new hire start who will be doing my old job.] My manager was really understanding and spent nearly 30 minutes telling me in a r-e-a-l-l-y nice and diplomatic way ...

{"I chose you to be my assistant because I have every confidence you can do it. I have been promoted and have chosen to bring you along for the ride. If you need relief with stress, go get professional help. You are the gatekeeper. People are going to go through you to get to me. If you are having trouble with this concept, then tough. You better accept it. If you need help figuring out how to filter the data coming from all directions, then go find a mentor, read a book, or take a class. Things will be rough for the next few months since you are still learning how to be an executive level administratorAND we are restructuring the organization. Things SHOULD get easier because you can start offloading some things to the new hire. We are going to hire more administrative help as the organization grows. YOU are going to be SENIOR administrator and naturally have to be a leader. I have faith you can be successful, but YOU have to make it happen. I am not going to and can't do it for you. I will support you if you need funds to go take classes or seminars. So, SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT!!" }

When she left my office I sat there silently replaying the conversation for about five minutes. As I said she didn't say any of this. I am totally interpreting what she said. She took the scenic route in explaining things, never raising her voice, drew diagrams of my responsibilities, etc. She was very positive and cheerful.

After analyzing the conversation I then realized what basically happened. SHE GAVE ME AN ASS CHEWING! WOW! As I said, she took 30 minutes to say this and it was such a nice way she handled it. Dang, I don't think I could have ever been that smooth and eloquent. I've never had anyone be so indirect in a direct way. I don't think I would have handled it that way since I am such a blunt and direct to the point person. I have a new respect for her as my manager and as a vice president. I can see why she has moved up the ladder so quickly.

It became very clear that I have to change my attitude. I should be relieved that someone has been hired to take over my old job. I also have to accept that working for an executive is going to be demanding. I can't regret leaving my old position because "I" chose and wanted to be her executive administrator. I just have to remember what IT was that I liked about the executive administrator job which made me want to ask to be permanently put into the position.

So, I am turning over a new leaf. Part of change came from the ass chewing, the other part came from reading Johnny's blog about his father. His father chose to excel at his profession even though he doesn't like doing it. I need to adopt that philosophy as well. To quote from Caddyshack "The world needs ditch diggers, too." So, if I were digging ditches as a profession, I may as well be the best ditch digger there ever was. Johnny, if you ever tell your dad you wrote a blog about him, tell him 'thank you' for me.

Sushi

2006-06-23T19:09:00.000-05:00

I am 35 years old and have never tried sushi...until today. I didn't realize the group I was with was going to a sushi place. They only told me they were going to lunch. By the time we got in the car about 1 mile from the office, there was no turning back when I found out what the main course was going to be.

Scott and another friend of mine have been trying to get me to taste sushi for years. All I would do decline and scrunch up my nose along with make ewwwww noises.

Too tell you the truth it wasn't that bad. Fortunately, I was with a group who KNOW sushi and they picked a really good sushi joint. It wasn't slimy and it didn't smell "fishy". I guess that is the difference between good and bad sushi.

It probably didn't hurt that I had 7 pair of eyes on me waiting to make fun of any negative facial expression I made. I dissapointed them and gave them a thumbs up after I carefully (rather messily) took my first bite of salmon on rice. Althought I still wasn't too sure what to think of the texture. Each of my co-workers began giving me technical advice on how to eat each item on the plate. I was a master by the end of the meal.

E-mail from China

2006-06-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

I received wonderful news from my friends in China. They received their daughter a few days ago. I realized they are staying an additional week to visit in Hong Kong. They said it was a trip of a lifetime so it was worth it to get there a few days early and stay an extra week.

A.

Little M.M. is doing great. She has become a giggling, affectionate baby. She's not used to being around men so she still prefers me over T. (and my back is killing me) but I can tell that soon she will be daddy's little girl.

China is just beautiful. It has such an incredibly rich culture and history and the art work is amazing and abundant. The people are friendly and curious. We keep getting the thumbs up sign from strangers and they come right up and stare at us. Now I'm wishing that I'd learned a little more in those Chinese language classes though. For example, they often point to our group of adoptive parents and then point to our noses. I think they're calling us "big nose." And the Chinese toilets make me really glad that I do yoga. ;>

- K

A.

We have had baby M.M.for 3 days now. She has really blossomed over the past few days, but there have been some rough spots. They gave her to us with a cold and she has been pretty seriously congested. She is also teething and has bed sores on her back from spending so much time on her back in the orphanage. She is very cute though and in the last day has started trying to roll over (she is almost there) and is starting to vocalize what sounds like words. She didn't smile at all her first day with us, but is warming up very quickly.

- T

I can't wait to meet M.M. K sent pictures of "meet your forever family day", but M.M. kept turning her head away when T. would try to get a pictures. Their son, C., who is 7 looked really amazed in the picture, "is this my sister?"

They Flew The Nest

2006-06-10T09:29:00.000-05:00

Our baby crows took their first flight and flew away. They were not alone, they have four adult crows helping them along. Could the four adult birds be mama, papa, grandma & grandpa? Maybe Aunt and Uncle?

I wasn't able to get a picture since the nest was too high up.

This had me thinking again about "working mom vs stay-at-home mom". Gosh! They grow up so fast! These birds were only in the nest for about three or four weeks.

Other News:

My friend and her family are in China picking up her daughter. She told me she wasn't taking a laptop or stopping into the business center. I'll have to be content waiting for her to update me when she gets back. She is taking 7 weeks off from work. She saved up all of her vacation and then received two weeks of incidental pay to cover her finances during her absence.

Her referral to TA time frame was about 3 weeks. Then a week to prepare and pack. Four weeks from referral to travel. That is pretty fast, right?

We Have Baby Birds!

2006-05-28T21:38:00.000-05:00

We have lived in our house a little over three years and have never had birds nest in our trees, but this year, we have .... baby crows. Okay, so they aren't the most wanted types of birds, but they are the smaller type of crows. The last week I have heard chirping, but didn't know where it was coming from. Yesterday, as I was doing some yard work, I heard them chirping loudly. I walked around looking up at the trees for nearly 10 minutes until I spotted the nest. It sounds like there are two or three chickies. Today, I saw mom and pop taking turns with big fat worms in their beaks. Everytime Heidi got close to the tree the mom or pop would fly away, even if they had food in their beaks. All they would do is circle around and land from a different direction. I hope to be able to get a picture of the nest in the next few days. Scott comes home tomorrow, so I hope to use the digital camera. So calming to listen to them and watch mama and papa work at non-stop feeding. It so neat to see the parents work endlessly to help their offspring become healthy to take their first leap of faith and fly.

...just in case they don't make it. I've weeded and cleaned the flower bed below. Waiting to take on an abandoned bird if I need to.

Dog Damage

2006-05-27T19:03:00.000-05:00

Today I was shopping at cooking.com to replace the soup pot Heidi pulled off the counter ( http://journeyofanadoption.blogspot.com/2006/04/it-has-been-while.htm ). Sheesh! The sucker cost $120 to buy another one. I don't think I paid that much for it. I believe it was on sale for more than half of that price. Still expensive. The pot isn't damaged where it alters the way food cooks, but the handle broke off. It is made of cast iron and fell 4 feet. There is nothing wrong with the pot, but the area where it broke off now has rust. It is just unsightly and I don't like it. I don't think there is a way to seal it. Oh well, I guess I'll have to live with it.

...and I was thinking of adopting another dog today. I was at Wally World and there was someone giving away free German Shepherd/Lab mix puppies. So cute and fluffy. Now, I am glad I didn't after seeing the damage from one dog. Besides, Scott is out of town and he probably would have divorced me for getting another pet without consulting him. Ha!Ha!

That was a bad spell

2006-05-26T17:51:00.000-05:00

Wow! Last night was a bad spell. I have been under a lot of stress from work and the things that used to matter with having career, don't matter. All I want to do is be a parent. That is my ambition.

Today at work, everyone was leaving early and piling crap for me to do over before leaving at 5pm. (That is what happens when you have four people you are supporting -- no one know what everyone else is asking you to do) What the ?? That isn't fair. So, I left the office right after they left without starting any of the task. I really don't care what they say when I return to the office on Tuesday. When I told Scott what I did, his thoughts were I may be burned out. I've been doing two jobs for the last five months. All the managers expect me to give 100% although they said I shouldn't have to do it. I can't keep up at the fast pace any longer. Scott has told me I could resign from my position and we would be fine financially.

I don't like to see myself as a quiter, but at the same time, I don't like the way I feel. When I come home in the evening, I have to decompress W-A-Y too much. Long, hot bubble baths don't do it for me. I wake up from dreams drenched in sweat and a fast heart beat because my dreams are about about forgetting to do something at work. On Sundays I on the verge of tears because I dread going to work on Mondays. I don't think if I had stayed in my old position that the work conditions would have changed because I still would be "forced" to do both jobs. Finding an executive administrator is tough. Especially for The Big Boss because she wanted someone who had supported a VP or CEO for a large company, not a director or supporting a team from a small company. However, she decided to give me a chance when I showed interest. What the heck was I thinking?

Also, my old boss must be feeling pressure of not having me doing 100% accurate work and solely assigned to her because she has been really nasty toward me lately. She points out every single thing I do wrong and rarely tells me what I do right.

I am making a lot of mistakes at work. Mostly because I have to concentrate on quantity, not quality. I can't even attempt to do the job with excellence since I am burning my candle at both ends. I am seriously starting to doubt my ability to do the exec admin job because of the mistakes I am making.

I do have a goal to pay off my education loan I've been paying for 10 years. Time to really pay that sucker down. Scott says I can do it just as easily by working someplace else.

What I will do instead of complaining is to actually start do something about it. I am going to update my resume and start looking for another job.

Severe Baby Blues

2006-05-25T22:57:00.000-05:00

The baby blues came out of know where and I am hoping you don't mind if I share this with you. Scott is on a fishing trip with his brother in Louisana and I am by myself. Normally, I relish the thought of having the house to myself, but right now I am not so happy.

It is almost 11pm and I am crying. The thought that I should be a mother of a 2 month old has hit me hard. Damn hormones! I can't stop crying. I rhink the mourning of losing my son has hit me doubly hard tonight and Ian't share it with Scott or my mother because they would think I am crazy. I don't blame God for the conditions that make it a challenge to have children. It is purely genetic, I still can't help but feel sad.

My mother in law said she was visiting over the 4th of July week and I all I could think about was that it was at that time, a year ago, I knew I was pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I want her to visit, but it isnt' a happy time for me.

I feel like such a failure. Scott and I have been blessed with a very good income. I thought I could have it all. I NEVER thought I would be the one adopting.

I always knew adoption would be our first choice. It was. We tried the state foster adoption. I won't go into what happened, but we didn't complete our classes. We then decided to risk all odds nad have our own children. We knew what we were getting into. I just thought we could beat the odds. 75% chance of something going wrong, what was I thinking?

Hope! A miracle?

I know that some of the families who have experienced a loss or infertility know how I feel. I hate the way that the pain comes out of the blue. Right now, as I type, I am typing through tears.

]I hate the way I get stares from family members of pity or of bewilderment (what? They make all that money and what good does it do them if they can't have biological childrnen? )

I mourn from unborn son....my dreams of what our biological child would look like...and for the disappointment I have in myself because I can't give my husband a child.

I am not saying he is unhappy with adoption. He is gung-ho because he doesn' want to see me suffer, but I have not been able show him these tears. He is uncomfortable when I cry, although caring.

I will not even bring myself to decorate child's room because of the pain I had with my son. I was so exited because of the fear of another dissapointment. Although that is really slim. I don't think I'll start decorating until I get the referral.

Thnaks for listening. I think I will go wash my face. I haven't cried so hard since last late Septemeber (when we lost our son). Then again, I should probably let it out.

Invisible Screen

2006-05-21T18:46:00.000-05:00

Our HOA doesn't allow screen doors to the front entrance. A couple a days ago, we had a retractable door installed in the front and back of the house. The screens are difficult to see. I had to make sure our dogs realized they were there so they wouldn't run through them. What smart dogs. After letting them sniff the doors and nudge at the screen, they figured it out pretty fast. The only way I've been able to tell if the screen door is open is by looking for the black handles (see arrow). The doors "latch" with magnets. The door retracts with a push, so Scott is going to have to figure out how to secure a physical latch when the kiddo gets here. Heidi did figure out how to open the door, but after giving her a stern look and putting her in time out, she hasn't attempted it again. It is so nice to be able to open all the windows and doors without flies or mosquitos coming in.

Scott also put up a purple martin/swallow house this weekend. It wasn't a simple project. In our area, we have two to four inches dirt, then it is pure limestone rock. So, he got a work out using a pick ax cutting through the bedrock. He then mixed and poured cement into the hole and held the pole for 30 minutes to let it cure a little. The pole is retractable so the birdhouse can be cleaned in the winter time. I have to admit that I AM NOT cleaning out the birdhouse. Gross! I know some of you know that HOA's can be sticklers for any little thing that is an infraction to the bylaws. So, I wonder what they will think of the height? We looked and there was not anything mentioned about birdhouses.

We also bought birdseed for the bird feeder. Those birds go through a 5 lb bag a feed every two weeks. So, we have to really ration it. Scott and I purchase the "no trash" seed which isn't cheap, but it keeps the funky seed plants from growing in the flower bed.

Now that the "bad" backyard neighbor with the yappy dog moved, we can enjoy our back porch. We introduced ourself to our new backyard neighbor when they moved in. They said they were getting a puppy and asked us to bring our dogs over. We decided that we will cut a hole in our fence and put in lattice panel so the puppy and Heidi can see each other.

By the way, I wanted to point out the pink flowers on the bush on the left hand side of the picture. That is an althea. This plant was made from a cutting of my great aunt's house who got it from her grandmother. Isn't that cool? Dad gave me the plant so he can pass down a bit of history. I have to say that was a big leap of faith on dad's part since I tend to kill plants. It almost died while in the pot, but as soon as Scott planted it, this baby took off. I do worry how it will do in the shade when the Monterey oak on the right and the Japanese maple on the left mature. The garendening guide says it needs 4-6 hours of full sun. However, Grammy has her plants growing under huge canopies of 60 year old pecan trees and they are doing fine.

Major Dust Bunnies

2006-05-17T08:35:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, our refrigerator was making a loud humming noise. Oh great! We just gave thousands of dollars to the adoption agency and our seven year old refrigerator decides to die. The refrigerator has been through one move.

Scott was 225 miles away fishing with buddies on the Texas coast. What was I to do? I got on the internet and found out the refrigerator probably had dirt on the coils. I followed the instructions and removed the ventilation grill and OH MY GOSH!!! There was a whole wad of dog fur and dirt on the coils to make a enourmous dust bunny. Icky!! I carefully vacuumed the coils and replaced the ventilation grill and the sound went away. No wonder the refrigerator side was causing items to freeze! I had turned the temperature down a few months ago without any success of fixing the icing problem.

Anyway, the coils are supposed to be vacuumed every month. The joys of home ownership!

Leaping Lizards

2006-05-16T22:26:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of a little dude I found sunning itself on our patio table earlier this week. Heidi passed this fellow several times and didn't even realize it was watching her. I must have gotten a little too close when I was trying to take a picture because it scampered down the table and up the side of the house. When I took the picture the lizard jumped toward me. Needless to say, I screamed like a girl and almost dropped the camera. Heidi chased this poor thing until it ran up a tree. I think she would have eaten it if she was able to catch it. Gross!

I like to imagine that this guy is the offspring of the lizard I saved a few years ago. It was February and we had a hail storm. The lizard was knocked out of its winter hibernation spot and onto the ground. I put the lizard in a box. I would take it out and put it in a safe sunny spot during the day and bring it in at night. About four weeks later, I came home to empty box.

My husband says I have a really soft heart for many of our lawn critters. He laughs when I tell the gardeners to be careful cleaning the flower beds and to not hurt the toads. Hey! They eat the bad bugs! I also put the worms back onto the grass and mulch when they get flooded out after a rainstorm and washed on the driveway or sidewalk. Whenever we have a bird knock itself senseless from running into a window, I'll nurse it for a few hours while it recovers.

Replacement Car Parts

2006-05-15T13:12:00.000-05:00

I paid off my car last month. WooHoo! I have a few things which need to be replaced. Well, really they don't, but I would like to get them fixed. My fog lamp on the driver side is cracked and the handle of the sunshade on my sunroof broke off from brittleness. I was told I have to replace the whole fog lamp housing and replace the complete sunshade. The total came out to $800 without labor. Completely outrageous! Why can't the car company sell small parts? What a rip off!

I don't how long I will keep the car. It has less than 50,000 miles on it. If we get a referral for one child, I'll keep the car. If we get two, then we'll probably trade the car in for a mini-van. I shudder when I say those words. I do NOT think of myself as a mad mom in a mini-van. I always envisioned my next car as a convertible, but somewhere between the five years of car ownership we wanted to start a family.

DTC this Friday

2006-05-10T20:56:00.000-05:00

Yes! We will be DTC this Friday! Very exciting. Can I sleep now? I feel like I ran a marathon.

We received our package at 7:45am this morning at work. Our shipping department e-mailed me and told me "IT arrived". I got to work at 8:30. When I went to the shipping department, the guys were looking at their watches and told me I was an hour late. They were teasing because I made such a big deal yesterday to be looking for this package-- AND I arrive to work late. I couldn't sleep last night and overslept this morning!

I had to make copies of the Consulate authentication and then drive back home because I forgot our passport pictures. Needless to say my morning was spent driving around Austin. I walked back into the office around 12:00 noon. One of the directors was kinda miffed because we had two interview candidates come in (for my old job) at 11:00am and I wasn't there to walk them through security. Security didn't know who else to call since they couldn't find me. They tried calling my cell phone, but I forgot to take it with me and had left it in the office. Oh well. She'll get over it. Besides, I haven't actually told her our paperwork was completed. But the BIG cheese (who I report to now) knew what I was doing and she was okay with me leaving. The BIG cheese told me she felt really honored Scott and I would share our adoption news with her. What was really cool about her reaction was she didn't ask "So when is the baby getting here and how long are you going to take off work?" I think she knows I'll take care of finding a backup while I'm out on family leave.

SoS Certified

2006-05-05T22:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Alexa at Paperchase, our Texas docs are certified. She has Fedex'ed Scott's Louisiana Certified doc along with our Texas certified docs to Cindy in Houston from ChinaDocs.Com. Cindy will take them on Monday to the Houston Chinese Consulate.

Next Monday must be a significant day. Last night, we had three terrible thunderstorms roll in. This morning, the alarm went off, and I sat up quickly and said "What time is it? Is it Monday?" I have no earthly idea why I asked if is Monday. I really was confused what day it was because the last 36 hours have almost been non-stop dossier prepping and very little sleep.

You would think blogging at 10pm would be the last thing I want to do right now. I am soooo tired that I can't sleep. I hate when that happens.

What a Long Day

2006-05-04T19:31:00.000-05:00

I spent most of the day compiling the dossier and making extra copies. Apparently three copies of each original document doesn't go far. I sent out of copies of our last copy of the marriage certificate for the Chinese Consulate in Houston. I didn't have enough time to go make another copy. I have a flatbed scanner and the largest size I can print is legal size. This doc is bigger. When the docs get back, I'll have to wrestle with paper contortionist to make a copy of the doc, the certification, and authentication paper. Fun!

By the way, my birth certificate is close to the 180 day (6 month) expiration date. By the time it gets to the Chinese Consulate it will be 166 days old. Just under the wire. In case you want to know how old your docs are there is a date difference calculator I found. While I was searching for it, Scott figured it by doing adding the dates of the month and doing some subtraction. Uhh...too complicated for me, thank you. What gets me is the fact they are strict about the age date of the documents. As if my birth date is going to change! If the person who notarized it at the clerk office has a commission date which hasn't expired, then what is concern?

Anyway, as I said I spent most of the day compiling the papers and multitasking with work e-mail and telephone. I then had the originals and copies couriered to Alexa at Paperchase here in Austin. She is so awesome! She is taking care of a lot of the leg work. After she get the docs certified on Friday, she is sending them to Cindy at MyChinaDocs in Houston. Alexa has actuallly has really gone beyond what her service does. I really appreciate her help. She has been in communication with me throughout the day and this evening. She has been very helpful in keeping me sane. Cindy has been awesome as well. I was afraid our docs wouldn't get delivered on Saturday because her office location closes at 12 noon. She called me at 7:30 and offered her home address. So, if our docs pass the scrutiny of the State of Texas and the Chinese Consulate, we have a good chance of being DTC May 12th!

GWCA needs to have the documents by Wednesday at 10:30am, but I don't think we are going to have them by then, but I am going to ask for a one day extension so I can give us some wiggle room (just in case the copier breaks while making copies of the authentication pages).

This weekend I need to go to Walgreens and print our life photos. We have 15 and we are trying to narrow it to 6-10.

I am holding my breath hoping everything goes well without a hitch. Am I asking too much?

Scraping Myself Off the Ceiling - Reality Hits

2006-05-03T21:14:00.000-05:00

I told Scott I'll take the docs to SOS on Thursday and he could take them to the Houston Chinese Consultate. Then reality hit and we checked our work schedules Frack! I have a full work schedule this week and he has a full schedule next week. He said he could take the paperwork to Houston this Friday, but I don't think we are going to have everything done tomorrow because 1.) WE have to get the application letter and "copy" of the I-171H notorized. "WE" have opposite schedules and only see each other at night. We have to be together to get the docs notarized. 2) Oh! And I have to go shopping tomorrow to go buy awards for my department's big meeting then take them to go get engraved. The engraving takes two business days. Somehow, life just gets in the way. 3.) take the docs to GWCA to review before going to SOS. 3) Then taking the time to go down to the SOS office. I can't accomplish that in one day.

I also realized I haven't put together our lifestyle photos. They are all digital, so I have to put them on my camera disk and get them processed at Walgreens or CVS. Maybe I should just give up on trying to DTC on May 12th and be content with May 19th?

Well, Scott just came up to me and said "honey, I know you are stressed about work and I am stressed about work. Pay the extra fees. Call a mobile notary to come to the house afterhours and have the docs to the state SOS and Chinese consulate couriered. If you have to hire a courier to drive from Austin to Houston to save a day, do it." His thought is that is that the courier fees are a drop in the bucket compared to the other cost of the adoption. Gosh! I love that man! He can be bullheaded and tight fisted with his money, but to see me unhappy brings out the best in him. He knows I don't pout to get my way.

Maybe we will make the May 12th date. What an fantastic "mother's day" gift.

It's Here!

2006-05-03T17:57:00.000-05:00

I went to the mailbox and we received our brown envelope!!

Darn Hormones

2006-05-01T20:24:00.000-05:00

Gosh! I am so hormonal today. I ran across a website of a China adoption video and I was bawling my head off as I watched it. We are not even DTC, but these videos keep me trucking along and get me through the rough days. My husband says I am going to reflect on these blog entries after we get our child and wish for quiet time.

I've Been Tagged

2006-04-28T20:30:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by David & Debbie a few weeks ago (I am just getting a chance to spend time on blogging and updating my adoption documents)

6 Weird Things About Me

1. I get Pavlov's dog syndrome anytime I smell, see or someone mentions pickles. I love pickles. My favorite is Sour Dill. I also have about 10 jars of pickles in my refrigerator. I'll be back, I have to go grab a pickle to snack on.

2. When I am washing dishes, I have an OCD problem of drying my hands constantly.

3. I have 15 bottles of lotion/body oil and a zillion tubes of chapstick around my house, in my car, on my office desk, in my purse because I can't stand having rough skin or dry lips.

4. I have to sleep with a body pillow. My husband calls it the "I have a headache tonight" pillow because it interfers with his ability to be intimate. I don't do it intentionally. It is comfortable. When we travel, I have to usually ask the hotel to bring extra pillows into the room so I can snuggle. By the way, I slept with a Winnie The Pooh until I was 13 years old.

5. I have never been able to memorize the 7 through 9 multiplication table.

6. I'm only comfortable getting blood taken from my left arm. I get very anxious when they try to take if from my right arm. It is just within the last year I have gotten over my fear of needles.

=====

Well, we are under a tornado watch and thunderstorms are heading our way, so I need to shut down for the evening. I don't want to chance having my electronics fried.

My Friend Got Her Referral!

2006-04-27T14:22:00.000-05:00

A lady I work with, who is also the person who convinced Scott and I to adopt from China, has been on pins and needles all week. About at 1pm Central today she receieved the referal pictures of her daughter via e-mail. Her daughter's SWI name is Mei Mei and she is absolutely beautiful. I am bawling as I type this. Mei Mei was born September 17th, 2005 in Guangdong Province and is at the Yangx SWI . I would share her picture, but I haven't received permission to post it.

Her husband and son are excited. They called their son at school and asked the principal to get him out of a class. They told him he is officially a big brother.

Grocery Shopping...bought a Barbie?

2006-04-26T20:20:00.000-05:00

I went in for a few things: dog food...check. sugar-free fudge pops...check. gallon of milk...check. half and half for coffee...check. Chinese New Year Barbie...ummm....how did that end up in my basket?

I should have bought two (since we hope for twins or siblings), but at $20 a pop, it would have cost more than the few grocery items I needed. " Damn the boutique grocery stores for putting enticing goodies by the frozen food aisles!" (I am not kidding). At my local super grocery store chain, they put the toys across from the frozen food aisle because they know busy parents shop in that area for Orida fries, Hot Pockets, and ice cream!

But Chinese New Year Barbie is absolutely beautiful! Well, we know over the years, Mattel will come up with other "Chinese New Year" or "Chinese" Barbies and we will purchase a few more. Not that referrals are THAT long, but the container says for 6+ years. We will hold on to them and present the Barbies to our daughter(s) as a gift. Scott was thinking maybe we should save them for their "quinceneda". This means sweet fifteen in Spanish. We plan on giving our daughter(s) a sweet 15 in honor of their Mexican/Spanish heritage. [So they can be more confused than they may be at that age. You know what? At least my girl(s) will be able to dance a Chinese folk dance, a Texas two-step, a Cajun waltz and a Mexican tango !]

Getting back to the real topic at hand. Scott says, go buy another one and if we get one child, we can sell the extras. So, next paycheck, I'll go back to the supermarket and buy another one. If you are in the Austin, TX or Carmel, CA area and want me to buy one, I may be bribed. Of course, if you live in CA you won't get it until we visit Carmel which will be either in July or December of this year. But a good home made dinner or outdoor grilling may bring down the price (GRIN). Oh! Okay. No bribing necessary because you can also go buy it at Wal-Mart.Com.

Lori, Scott and I are purchasing one for you as a gift. [ Lori, her husband, and son, received their I-171H yesterday! Yipee! Scott and I are s-o-o-o-o happy for y'all!!! Congratulations!! ]

What is strange about this Barbie doll is the eyes are hazel, not dark brown. The skin is really light. Her hair is jet black. She has really long "Barbie" legs. The doll is really a "doll". I hope my daughter doesn't get a complex about Chinese Barbie (sound famililar??) I think this thought occurs to all parents who buy their child a Barbie.

It Has Been While

2006-04-25T18:06:00.000-05:00

I can't believe nearly four weeks have passed since I last blogged. Time passes by so quickly. I am still working two positions. Management is trying to find a replacement for my old position.

I found out today from a co-worker who is adopting through our adoption agency just got a stork alert. She said she should be in the batch referrals received. Yipee!

We are still waiting for our I-171H. I'm starting to stalk to the mail carrier again. If I don't get something by Friday, I'm calling USCIS.

On another note...

Really think twice about adopting a dog from a shelter. Man! My German Shepherd has had nothing but problems; anxiety problems. Today, she knocked down my Le Cruset $75 2qt enameled cast iron pot and broke it. Thank goodness she wasn't under it when it fell or that our chihuahua wasn't under it. It could have killed either of them or hurt her seriously. AND I'm glad it didn't crack the tile. She then got so nervous she crapped and peed on the game room carpet. She is on anti-anxiety medicine, but it can take only one thing she deems as very bad to set her on a path of nervous distruction. I am so mad. As I walk around my game room I looked at destruction she has caused over the last year and observed what has to be replaced: the curtains, the carpet, the doors need to be sanded, puttied and painted because she pawed at them when we used to lock them. Where is Cesar Milan, the dog whisperer, when we need him? What is her problem? I can see why she was returned two times to the shelter. But Scott and I said we would stick it out. She is such a sweetheart on her up days.

Scott has started an open line of e-mail communication with his biological father. They are keeping the conversation light. His father hasn't asked for them meet. I'm glad they are trying to hash things out. It has been 12 years since they last talked.

Being A Father

2006-04-04T20:54:00.000-05:00

Scott has been thinking about his own father since he wanted to be dad. His dad hasn't been a part of his life since Scott was 22. Well, actually since Scott was 4 years old. They've seen each other off and on. His mother never kept Scott or Scott's sister away. His dad chose to show up when he pleased. Scott says his dad did something that made Scott dislike him.

Scott has known where his father lives since January. Scott mom is a prominent psychologist in the Carmel, CA area and she has her own website. Scott's dad e-mailed her. His father had changed his name to a French name. Strange, aye? Sounds like he is running from something. Anyway, Scott googled him and ran across a poetry site. His father did write about Scott in a few poetry pieces. Scott has been monitoring his site. Scott told his sister about it and she anonymously e-mailed their father. Then the poetry started rolling in about Scott and his sister. His dad plays the victim and never points the finger at the consequences of his own actions.

Scott father finally found Scott's e-mail address from Scott's blog about fishing. Scott chooses to disclose his identity in his blog. His father must have googled Scott's name.

Scott finally e-mailed his dad and said he would like to start a dialogue with him. However, he set boundaries and said he doesn't want to rehash the past.

Scott said he can't ask his own children to forgive him if he can't even forgive his own father. I totally support him. I've had a rocky relationship with my father when I was growing up, but he and I have come to an understanding where we accept each other for who we are and don't try to change each other. My father and I are are now close. Scott says he has learned forgiveness from my relationship with my father. He also knows what type of relationship he wants to have with his children and it is totally different than his father or step-father's behaviour. He says he wants to be a very hands on father. He also wants to give his children hugs and say "I love you" often whether the child is a daughter or a son. Our families have these gender rolls where father's don't give their son's hugs or words of encouragement.

I know Scott will be a great father. He is definately ready. He says he can't wait to have our son or daughter with us even though he knows it is going to be the toughest job he has ever attempted.

Fingerprinted

2006-04-01T13:33:00.000-06:00

We are back. The fingerprinting went well. I hope they are sufficient enough for the USCIS fingerprint analysis and it doesn't pull up any nasty unknown or forgotten criminal history. Here is the timeline of our trip.

4:00am Got up, showered, drank coffee
4:45am Left the house
6:05am-6:15am made a quick detour in New Braunfels at McDonalds for a breakfast sandwich and personal break
6:40am arrived at USCIS application support center in far North San Antonio. We were the 2nd couple in line. Note: When we turned off I-35 toward the USCIS fingerprinting office we noticed that the traffice on I-35 toward downtown was dead stopped and the signs had "X"s over two lanes of the three lane highway. There must have been an accident.
6:40am-8:00am Us two couples were the only people there for a while. The third couple arrived around 7:20am. When the door opened there were about 18 people at the door, but of those 18, I think only a few were having a process done. We were the first fingerprint couple. I should have brought a book. Scott waited in the truck since we were the 2nd couple. I ended racking up the data minutes on my cell phone (on my new pink motorola RAZR) reading CNN news for 30 minutes.
8:00am-8:10am filled out the paperwork they hand you at door
8:10am-8:15am wait. I was number 8 and scott was number 9 to processesed. There are two fingerprinting stations. The workers helped others out with various questions, so in reality we were the first to get fingerprinted.
8:15 We were both called to the two fingerprint stations
8:30 Scott was finished with his fingerprinting
9:00 I was finished with fingerprints. I had a new worker, Faye, who had only been on the floor for one week. Both Faye and my husband's fingerprinter let us verify our personal data to make sure it was data entered correctly. Faye then started the fingerprint process. I was patient. she was patient. We both laughed while she did each fingerprint several times. I know how it is when you are first learning. She was apologetic and said unfortunately the electronic fingerprinting skill is on the job training. They don't get to practice in the classroom. The computer kept showing "broken ridges" and "too small" along with a red box around the error. Faye called them Christmas lights because the screen light up. When she was finished, one of the quality managers came to verify the pictures of my fingerprints. Apparently the computer doesn't catch all errors and only an experienced eye know what is qualified as a good print. She docked seven of the pictures as "poor". Faye tried again and then asked for quality approval. A different supervisor came and looked at them and docked five of them. By that time it was 8:50am. She finally asked for her trainer to do the reprints. He finished them in five minutes and asked another supervisor for quality approval. He thanked me being patient. He says new trainees can take up to an hour to do a set of electronic fingerprints because the software is so sensitive.

When we left, the waiting area was packed! I am sure glad we came early. Although Scott says it was a little too early for his taste. He said we could have left the house at 5:30 and still been okay.

Anyway, we drove a few blocks toward I-35 north & south access ramps and we looked at the traffic towards downtown and the traffic was backed up for miles! Oh well! There goes our visit to Mi Tierras restaurant. We would have taken the backway if we brought a map. So, we headed back toward Austin and stopped at a barbeque place in San Marcos. We were back at home by 12:00. We crashed into bed and napped for nearly two hours!

Now the wait begins for our I-171H.

By the way, when you submit your I-600A form, make sure you put your social security number on your cover letter. They made us put our SSN on the office form and data entried it with the electronic fingerprints. So, they match by application name and SSN. I was told it helps avoid delays with the orphan officer.

We Received our Fingerprint Appointment Letter!

2006-03-29T19:58:00.000-06:00

What more can I say (or type)? Yippee! We are planning on driving to San Antonio early this Saturday and get there by 7:00am to be first in line to get fingerprinted.

Afterwards, Scott and I will go to downtown area and eat at my favorite restaurant "Mi Tierra's". Then we'll go walk to the riverwalk and do the tourist thing. Then we'll drive back home.

I made a decision

2006-03-23T21:28:00.000-06:00

The executive administrator our VP had chosen, chose to accept a counter offer from her employer. I can't think of anyone better for the job than that person. It is difficult to fill a position at that level. After some thought, I realized I have done the job very well. There has been some struggle because I am doing two jobs. This afternoon, I told the VP, I want to be her executive adminsitrator.

I struggled internally for a while about this. However, I WROTE the job requisition and I did specify what type of person the VP should be looking for to make the VP successful. I originally had self doubts because I came into such a chaotic situation. The VP's calendar was a mess with 12 hour days and she didn't have good relationships with outside departments. I have been able to get it under control by managing her time and pushing back diplomatically as well as saying the occassional "no" on her behalf. If I didn't have two jobs I may actually work 8-5pm.

She was pleasantly surprised. She had reservations because a few months ago I had said "no" to the idea of moving me into the position. I said no because I was scared of failing. I had based my opionion on "Ms. Exec Admin". I can't believe I was pursuaded by someone elses opinion and the fact they were failing horribly at the job. It wasn't like me. I usually am open minded.

I am very happy with my decision because I have seen the synergy of the team get better since I've taken charge of many task. Task which were never taken care of by the previous EA. I even had a few manager from California tell me they are really glad to have me helping the VP who is now more available to speak to them.

I've been to talk to and meet execs and employees as well as partners from other areas. That is so cool knowing people outside the department.

Oh! Not that my head is swelling, but I really was flattered. I had an EA to a director ask me for my opinion on a e-mail she was writing to the team. I don't even think I write that well! Which is why I blog. I need to write more often if I want to improve my writing skills. Hmmm... Maybe I should start a blog with my target audience being administrators, clerks and secretaries?

I-600A Update:

Still, no fingerprint appointment in the mail :-(

Weekly Update

2006-03-21T20:57:00.000-06:00

I have so much to write about, but haven't had time (and of course blogger has been up and down during the last week).

Pets:

Scooter, my 4lb chihuahua, lost his eyesight in his right eye due to a cataract in January. The vet first noticed it in August of 2005 during his annual checkup. Poor, little, guy. A few weeks ago, he ran into a small branch laying on the ground and poked his cataract affected eye. The good thing is, he isn't going to lose the eye. I mean physically lose the eye, no pun intended. The bad thing is, it is a slow recovery. He has floating white blood cell clots which are visible. He is milking the attention for all it is worth. He has adjusted well to losing part of his eyesight. He runs into things and can't judge distance very well. Scott and I agreed, along with the vet opthomologist, we will monitor his good eye. If it starts to show signs of a cataract, then we'll do surgery. It seems when are trying to save for an expensive service or purchase our pets have an emergency which dips into our savings.

Admin to the VP

The VP has selected an executive administrator! Yippee! She accepted a verbal offer, but we are waiting to see if actually signs the employment contract. I hope she does. I interviewed her. I think she has a great personality and had several previous and current managers contact the VP with the verbal reference. If she does accept, then she'll start April 3rd. It will probably take her about two weeks for me to transition task to her and an additional two weeks to train her how to use our corporate applications.

Additional Duties

After all that work of trying to find a administrator to the VP, I found out we are going to be hiring an additional director and a chief technology officer. Guess who gets to support them? Yep! Me! Hmmm... Maybe I should have just taken the job of supporting the VP? Anyway, the VP and I had a heart to heart talk. We agreed I want to keep my current job of program coordinator. After the new director and CTO are onboard, I'll evaluate their administrative needs. If they are too needy, then we'll hire an additional administrator or divide duties between me and the VP's admin. My hunch is we are going to have to hire a new administrator. In one way it is good to have economic growth, but on the other hand, it is always the administrators who are stretched thin. I don't see why, considering we are the lowest paid employees on the payroll. Believe me, since I am privvy to what the other folks make in our department. You think it isn't too much to ask to hire one other administrator.

Chicago Chinese Consulate:

I sent a few docs via courier, Denise Hope of There is Always Hope , to the Chicago Chinese Consulate. Denise sent the docs back to me via Fedex 2 or 3 day (I can't remember what I selected on the label). By the way, she did an awesome job. I highly recommend her service.

Back to Gym:

I have been feeling so out of shape. With all the hours I am putting in, I have been eating fast food for lunch and dinner. I didn't make time to go the gym. I've been paying fees for four months. That changed last Friday. I made a commitment to myself to go back. I proclaimed it to upper management too. At 4:45pm on Friday I said "I AM GOING TO THE GYM, I AM OUTA HERE!!" Today, my body is screaming "OUCH!! PAIN!!! " after five days of working out. It should pass soon. I have had to put the treadmill settings at nearly the same elevation & speed as when I first joined the gym. My body is really in sad shape. I hadn't gained any weight since I quit going to the gym, but I definately lost muscle tone and gained fat.

I-600A

Still no word from from San Antonio. Tomorrow marks the 3 week period since I submitted my application. I shouldn't be upset. I heard that Chicago USCIS is hurting since they are going through some changes. The I-600A wait is really long there.

Stalking the Mail Carrier

2006-03-17T19:42:00.000-06:00

Where is the letter regarding our fingerprint appointment? Grrr... I am starting to stalk the mail carrier. I hover over her as she searches for my mail nearly on a daily basis. She has been nice, but I can tell she is nervous. I haven't told her what I am waiting for.

I Fedexed the application with the homestudy on March 1st, it arrived March 2nd, and USCIS cashed my check March 7th.

Pacing, pacing, like a tiger stalking it's next prey.

Saving Money

2006-03-15T22:44:00.000-06:00

I've been reading the following websites to save money

The Dollar Stretcher
Frugal Living on About.Com
Miserly Moms

I had a candid talk with Scott about staying home with the children. He doesn't think I should since I detest housework. He reminded me I would rather have a root canal than cleaning a house. (Which is why we have a house cleaning service visit our house every few weeks). He said maybe working part time where I only take off 1 day a week or full-time where I spread the 5th day into a long weekend (Friday-Sunday for a 2.5 hours a day).

He did agree we should put money away to save for me to stay home for three months so our child could bond. He did reminded me what happened in 2000. I stayed at home (with no kids) for 5 months. He finally asked me to go find a job because I wasn't a good housekeeper. [Really, I wasn't. I wasn't organized at all] I have a question for Stay-At-Home Moms. Iis it possible to use a day planner and be able to keep the house neat as men like it or is it a pipe dream? I think when a child is involved, the neat house goes out the window.

Again, I see the fork in the road. Honestly, I think I'll take the vacation and 12 weeks unpaid family leave and then go back to work. I probably will sob as I drive to work my first day back (as I have heard every other woman in my company tell me) and get back into the scheme of things. I have my reasons.

I grew up poor and I didn't know it...until I couldn't go on certain trips with the rest of my friends. Furthermore, mom told me it was a hardship for me to be in extra curricular activities. Every summer I had to have garage sales and bake sales as well as save up baby sitting money to pay for uniforms and camps. I wasn't able to work in retail jobs because I didn't have a car and mom needed me to take care of my brother.

I think I found out why I don't want to stay at home. I really like my lifestyle. I never went on vacations growing up. I was really embarrassed about growing up in the "barrio". I like living in a nicer neighborhood and nicer house than I grew up in.

By the way, our lifestyle is a middle ground. Scott grew up in a very wealthy step-family who doesn't wish to share the wealth and I grew up in a very poor family who doesn't have anything to share. I'm not saying his family isn't a caring, loving people. We are just opposites in our famiy upbringing. His family had a house in Pebble Beach and my family had...well,we were lucky to have a roof over our head, but it was without central air or heat [Man! That house was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. ]

Decisions, Decisions.

Mommy Wars

2006-03-14T20:37:00.000-06:00

After the child arrives, to work or stay at home? I'm really torn. I've been watching Good Morning Show with the clips about "mommy wars". The stay at home mom vs working mom. My opinion is it is a personal choice and each family has to do what they feel is best for their household.

Today, I had to take our chihuahua to the vet for an eye exam. Knowing I had to take off this morning, I had to work very late last night to meet today's noon deadlines. My poor little chihuahua, he hurt his eye early last week and I had to wait to take him to his vet on Saturday. They couldn't help him because of the type of trauma he had, so he had to go to veterinary opthomologist (Yes, I know, amazing they haveI vet specialist). The specialist called Saturday afternoon to make an appointment for Monday. I felt guilty I couldn't take him Monday. As a matter of fact, the whole event of his eye trauma has made me feel guilty because he hurts and Scott and I haveto plan our work around him. If this was our child, we couldn't plan, we could only react. I cry as I type this because my chihuahua is such a little guy. He only weighs 4 lbs. Poor thing.

Anyway, I took him to his appointment and then brought him back home. I remotely logged into the office, forwarded my phone to my house, and worked from home. During my lunch hour I went to the grocery store and PetsMart. At the grocery store I ran into our very pregnant neighbor (she is due next week). She's a stay at home mom. Her son was at mommy's day out. Our neighbor uses this time to run errands. She loves being a stay at home mommy.

I keep wondering if we can financially swing it for me to stay at home. Right now, we wouldn't be able to do it living in the current house. We pay off the cars this year and even that doesn't help. Our mortgage requires both of our incomes. We love our neighborhood because we have PreK - 2nd year of college within a 3 mile radius. We could move to a less costly house which is in this radius, but I like our house and its costly to move. I probably can come up with all kinds of excuses why I can't afford to stay home.

My mom tells me I have good employer benefits because of my seniority; 3 weeks of vacation, 1 week of winter break, and 5-6 other holidays. That is a total of over a month off. A small token bonus when the company makes money. I also have the luxury to work from home occassionally. Mom told me I should work with my manager and try to find a solution to keep working full-time. Mom is afraid I may never be able to get another executive administrator job at the pay I am getting along with the benefits. I know she is right. Not about finding another executive administrator position, but about the pay and the benefits. I think I may be having feelings of staying home because I am doing two jobs right now until we find a replacement executive administrator to the VP. I am working long hours, so I may be a little burned out. Mom thinks when things "return to normal" around the office, I may return to my old optimistic self.

I'm not quite at a fork in the road, but I see it looming. Also, a lot of things can happen between now and then. We haven't DTC'ed yet, so we have another 12-14 months before making a decision. Then I have 12 weeks of unpaid family leave if I want to test the waters.

USCIS Cashed Our Check

2006-03-09T08:25:00.000-06:00

I was reviewing my bank account this morning . On March 7th USCIS cashed the personal check I submitted with our I-600A application. Wow! That was fast considering it arrived the 2nd. Now, lets see how fast we get our letter to go get our fingerprints?

More Memories of Grandma

2006-03-08T22:05:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking about my maternal grandmother since my last entry. My "M" grandmother was born in 1922 on February 29th (YES! a leap year!). My grandmother always understood what it was like to be poor because her parents were migrant farm workers. She grew up being poor when poor was tough because of the 1929 stock market crash caused the Great Depression. Then she lived through the ration years of WWII.

I have to let you know, both of my maternal and fraternal grandmothers have the same first name. How strange is that?

Anyway, "M" grandmother could really make a penny or dollar stretch. When she passed away, I found jars of buttons, scraps of old fabric, and other things which would make her look like a pack rack. Upon her "pack rack" think I ran across a ration card from WWII. It had meat, sugar, flour, milk, butter stamps left in it. My grandmother knew how to prepare for the worse.

She passed some of those skills to me because I lived with her during the summer times.

I remember my mother shunned this lifestyle of "used" anything because she had to live it. When mom was going through a divorce with dad, I remember at the tender age of 16 sitting down with mom and asking her "why do you look so sad?". She confessed that her small paycheck was a challenge to support my extra curricular cheerleading and choir activities. She finally opened up and drew up our finances. It was my first lesson in learning how to maintain finances. By the way, I helped mom trim the budget, and I was able to still pay to be in cheerleading, choir, and any activity.

Now, I look at how these skills are helping us pay for our adoption. I've had to cut back on several things. Mainly, eating out. Also, Scott and I am learning home improvement skills.
We recently put in our own cabinets into the game room. We had the plumbing pre-plumbed when we built the house. We saved up our money in cash and bought the cabinets at the local DIY store. There were some mistakes during the installation, but they aren't noticeable. Let me tell you, the builder quoted 4X more than the actual cost of the cabinets. RIP OFF!

I love reading. Unfortunately, we don't live in the city limits to be able to check out from the local library, but I do use second hand book stores, the free bin at work, and craig's list.

By the way, we have 1 more payment on the truck and 5 more payments on the car. The car is falling apart, but we will replace parts as they break off. Darn "luxury" model car has less than 50K miles on it, and two things broke! I'm serious! It is a luxury car model. Cheap @$$ plastic pieces! The dealership parts shop said it will take 6 - 8 weeks to get the parts. AS IF I WOULD BUY A NEW CAR because I have to wait several weeks. Order the parts! Which came out to a total of $85. (mind thinking frantically here) $85 or new car?? Hmmmm....

What we do for our children .... or future children. Thanks Grandma for teaching me frugality.

"Honey! Do we still want to add that extra space into the attic?" " I found a DIY book on how to build stairs and how to build out the attic within the roof line!"..... Ha!Ha!

Note: By the way, I didn't pay that much for my new cell phone. I searched for several months to find the right phone. I happened to be a local electronic store and they had a special. If I switched carriers I could get the phone for $40. The bonus was that included the pink color (which is sold out everywhere & it is sold for $149 + ) I was still on the AT&T plan and migrating to Cingular counted as a new activation. SWEET! After I purchased the phone, I called customer service and was able to apply our company discount to my account. Scott says I have my grandmother's penny pinching genes!

Memories of Grandma

2006-03-07T19:51:00.000-06:00

As I was waiting in the drive thru line at our neighborhood Whataburger. They were displaying a poster about their fish sandwich. Then I looked next door at the Sonic poster and they were also displaying a fish sandwich. Across the street at the Jack In the Box, they had a fish sandwich poster as well. What a strange thing to make me think of my maternal grandmother. Funny how the brain works. I then remembered it is the season of Lent. Grandmother always loved her fish sandwich plain and dry on Friday for lunch. On Friday evening, my grandparents would go to the local catfish parlour and then go to bingo. That was their weekly Lenten Friday ritual.

It has been 16 years since my grandmother passed away. I wonder what "little things" my parents will imprint on my child's mind which will be remembered with fondness?

New Cell Phone

2006-03-01T19:19:00.000-06:00

I finally decided to get a new cell phone. The Motorola RAZR pink. Actually, I've been thinking about getting a new cell phone for six months, but couldn't find a phone I liked. I originally was an AT&T legacy customer. The cell phone I was using was a Sony Ericson. In the 2 years I have had that phone, I have never really been able to use all the features because the phone is for a power user. Get me in front of a computer, I am a power user. Put a cell phone in my hand and you would think I've never seen one before. This time, I am going to RTFM and try to use this phone to its full capabilities.

I sent off our I-600A today. Yipee!! I also received Scott's Secretary of State certified birth certificate. Hurray!! What a nice Ash Wednesday present.

The other thing good that happened today was our back yard neighbor, who has the most yappy dogs I have ever heard, SOLD his house today. We've tried to negotiate with that man, but he says he doesn't care for the dogs and he says they were his ex-wife's. So, he only shelters them during the evening in his house, but they are outside all day, every day. If he doesn't come home from a party, they bark all night nonstop. We've even had the Sheriff's department come out here, but there is nothing they can do since we haven't been annexed by the city. So we are out of jurisdiction to enforce any laws. It falls onto our home owners assocation. The home owners association sent him many warnings and fines. He pays the fines each time. Scott and I love animals but we actually had morbid, law breaking, thoughts about silencing the dogs for the past three years.

I was going to write about 2005 Mardi Gras, but if nothing exciting happens tomorrow, I will bore you with the story.

Obsessive Verifying

2006-02-28T21:43:00.000-06:00

By the way, happy Fat Tuesday!! In my next blog, I'll tell you about my business trip to New Orleans a week before Mardi Gras last year.

I planned on mailing our I-600A today, but I was waiting for a document from our SW and she accidently mailed it to our house instead of to the office.

I had to create a new fedex airbill and I carefully double and triple checked the address and made sure to put on the envelope on a corner Orphan Petition as well as putting it on an address line.

I put a cover letter in my care package which included our social security numbers, and fifteen hundred different ways to reach us. I included the declaration saying they were true copies of the original. I also printed the I-600A application on salmon colored paper. I also enclosed a personal check for the application fee and fingerprints. I heard from someone on my local FCC- waiting yahoo group I can send a personal check instead of sending a money order. This person called the orphan officer in San Antonio a few months ago. I am still apprehensive about sending a personal check, but I don't want the hassle of standing in line at lunch to get a money order. Besides, I've been verifying and re-verifying I have crossed my "t's" and dotted my "i's" I have an obsessive compulsive issue of opening the unsealed fedex envelope and checking to make sure I have everything in there. I also keep surfing the net for any other tidbit of information I may have left off my cover letter. Scott is on a business trip and he told me over the phone that it is a "nesting" type of obsession. I'll check one more time before going to bed.

I received our employment verification notary certification from Colorado with "the great seal" WooHoo! I plan on Friday to send it to a courier in Chicago get it authenticated at the Chinese Consulate. Our employment letters are the only docs which need to authenticated out of state. All of our other documents will be authenticated in Houston.

I am still waiting for to receive Scott's Louisiana Secretary of State certified birth certificate. It will probably be delayed due to Mardi Gras.

Looking for Adoption Themed Song for Video

2006-02-28T00:00:00.000-06:00

Scott is going to create an adoption video using Adobe Premiere when we return from China with our bundle of joy. He has left it up to me to find a few songs which can be used in the background. I figure I have a lot of time on my hands. Ha!Ha!

The list I have so far, in no particular order:

Swept Away by Geoff Moore
Baby Mine by Bette Midler
Alegria from Cirque Du Soleil
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
A New Day Has Come by Celine Dion
Aria by Yanni
First Touch by Yanni (instrumental)
Somewhere Out There by James Ingram
Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel) by Billy Joel
Lullaby by Bond (instrumental)

Three others I have not heard of, but found on i-tunes:

Lotus by GuitarGarden (instrumental)
Bird of Paradise by GuitarGarden (instrumental)
Arms of Another by Susan Tedeschi

I really like Alegria, but the tone of the song may sound too serious. Baby Mine makes me boo hoo everytime I listen to it. Scott really doesn't like Celine's voice. I like Aria, but I don't know what the words mean since it is Italian (I think).

I am still not too sure whether we should use music with lyrics or only instrumentals.

Shopping For Little One

2006-02-26T21:03:00.000-06:00

I couldn't help myself. I haven't purchased anything for our child since we are not sure if we are getting a girl or boy. Today I purchased some DVD's and a few girly clothes. The clothes were too cute to pass up. If we don't get a girl, I'll donate them to the orphanage.

Movies from Wal-Mart. A bargain at $5.50 each.

Cute pink outfit, two bloomers, and a ladybug bonnet.

Visit With My Neighbor

2006-02-24T07:31:00.000-06:00

I saw my very pregnant neighbor walking past our house with her 2 year old son. I went outside to say "hi" and see how she was feeling. We both felt awkward at first, but we both settled into a friendly chat. Her son was trying to show me the ant beds in our front yard. Ha!Ha! He kept telling me "ouchy".

I finally opened the package Infamil sent to me. It had two half pint sizes of dry soy and regular formula. The expiration date had October of 2008. Well, at least they won't spoil. We have set our expectations set to travel at the very latest September 2007 to China.

My husband said our child will probably hate the formula and we will have to stock up on their preferred Chinese brand and bring it home with us.

Homestudy Ready!

2006-02-22T20:35:00.000-06:00

We received an e-mail from GWCA and our SW letting us know our homestudy is approved and ready. Our SW is going to get the set of documents notorized and she'll call me to go pick them up at her house. I told her I didn't want to take the risk of them getting lost in the mail.

I sent off our employment letters to the Colorado Secretary of State to get certified and Scott's birth certificate to the Louisiana Secretary of State to get certified. We had to have our employment letters redone because the first set was rejected. The notary's name didn't match what was on state records and they couldn't read the stamp because the notary pressed too hard. During that short time period, the company we work for transitioned the adoption benefit from the California HR department to the Colorado HR department. The only point of hesitation I have about the certification is the verbage for the notary. The HR dept in Colorado didn't change it to reflect the rules of Colorado. I am so tired of waiting for those darn papers I am crossing my fingers the Colorado Secretary of State will approve the certification.

Looks like we are going to part with over $500 this week to send off our I-600A. I never thought I would actually be glad to depart with money. I told Scott we will have to go celebrate because it will be a huge milestone in this adoption process.

Unwelcome Surprise

2006-02-21T22:53:00.000-06:00

Today would be exactly one month to the due date of my son. I have been trying to put it at the back of my mind and not think about it. The only current reminder I have is my neighbor who's due date is the same week. She has been really sensitive toward our experience, but she has stayed away as her tummy grows. She doesn't want to upset me.

I arrived home this evening and checked the mail. Infamil mailed me a box of samples and other goodies to congratulate me on the impending arrival of my child. Just lovely! It is going to be a tough four weeks. Maybe I can bury myself by doing a lot of overtime so I can make extra money to help pay for the adoption?

At this time, I am not sad. I probably will take the day off on my due date and go to the spa.

How Will I Change

2006-02-19T09:51:00.000-06:00

Becoming a parent is a scary and exciting event. I wonder if I am going to be a good mother? I try to imagine how my life will change. It got me thinking of some of the things that have changed over the last few years.

education & career
If you asked me seven years ago what I wanted to be, I would say, paralegal. I knew I would have to go back to school and get my bachelors degree. So, I did. I took an administrator position because the manager allowed me to work full-time, but he was flexible with my schedule so I could go to class. I graduated with a bachelors in business administration in 2003. During my last semester, I was accepted at Texas State University into their masters legal studies program.

Interesting how goals change. I was in my first semester of the legal studies program and realized how the job I am currently doing isnt' any different than legal studies. I got to know a lot of the students who were already working in law offices and was able to learn from their experience. Well, there were a few differences, but one difference made me rethink continuing my education. In my current job, I am not liable for billable hours. As a paralegal, you are a money making instrument for the law office. You have to be accountable for billable hours. So, it may mean you work a lot of hours. My current job, office administrator in marketing for a large corporation, well there are deadlines, but not the level of responsibility as in a law office. It is more of a team effort. When I realized that I was making more money than I would have as an entry level paralegal in a law firm, I decided to stay in my current profession.

The change I made was to become serious as an office professional. I started studying to become a certified administrative professional and read the litarature available. I didn't realize there was a career path. At the large corporation where I work I can move into various support areas with the level of education and experience I have. Granted, I am near the top of my salary cap for my profession but I am happy with the amount of money I make.

coffee
I hated coffee, but a few years ago, I tasted a cafe mocha from Starbucks and I was hooked. Scott was happy when I decided to buy a coffee maker for the house. Scott says I have expensive taste, so it is no surprise what turned me on to coffee was a $5 cup of coffee. Since we are trying to save money for the adoption, we went through many "cans" of coffee before I settled on Folgers gourmet blend. I like really strong coffee with a hefty dose of half and half cream. Go figure.

foods
I was pretty closed minded about foods until Scott started to make me try different things. I used to like well done steaks, now I like medium rare. I hated salmon and steak tuna. Love them now. A few other things I hated growing up which now I like: olives, asparagus, Chinese food, lobster, fresh green beans (I grew up on canned green beans), mushrooms, wine, various cheeses (grew up on American and yellow mild cheddar), pure maple syrup, breads other than white, diet soda, mineral water, over easy eggs, and gumbo.

shoes
I have really small feet. My shoe size is a child's shoe size. Needless to say, I am not a shoe fiend. My closet doesn't look like Emelda Marcos' closet. I should buy nice "adult looking" shoes even though they are really expensive. (remember I don't like to pay full price for clothing. Shoe shopping is painful to a person of cheap nature). About once a year, Scott and I drive to Houston to buy me a pair or two of shoes. There are not any shoe stores in Austin which sell my size. So, we make a weekend of it. We drive to Houston, I buy shoes, we visit family, we come home. Not sure what this has to do with changes, but maybe because I used to wear tennis shoes all the time. Now I have a reason to dress up and look my age.

cosmetics
Ditto here too. Not sure what it has to do with changes, but I used to not wear makeup. I hated the way it felt on my face. Now I wear Bare Minerals and other brands of mineral makeup. It looks more natural and it is quick to put on. Which will be important when the child(ren) arrive. I feel good when I put makeup on. It elevates my mood because I feel pretty.

hair
I used to have straight hair. Amazing what a good haircut and highlights do for my mood. A few years ago, it was not important area for me to maintain. Scott says I am a late bloomer. I must have come into feeling like a woman when I hit 30. He says I am more beautiful than when we first met because I am a lady not a tom boy anymore. I think I used to let my height be an excuse for not making myself look attractive. I was scared of my sexuality and of growing up. Amazing what one person can do. Scott made me see my inner beauty first. Once I learned to love myself on the inside, it moved to the outside. Of course ask him that when we are 30 minutes late to a family gathering because I can't find anything to wear, trying to cover a zit, or having a bad hair day!

seriousness
I used to be serious about life. Everything had to have a purpose. It is still important, but it is even more important to smell the roses and have fun. Scott has a funny sense of humor and it has rubbed off on me. I laugh more and try to not to take things so seriously. I try to roll with the punches. The word is "try". I am still working on it.

parenting
Scott and I have moms who had us when they were 18. Each of our moms told us while we were growing up to have fun first before having a family. We also had moms who were discovering themselves at the same time raising kids. Not all moms are like this, so I don't want to stereotype young parents. Our moms were different because their spouse's (our dads) were basically never at home. We felt our moms were disengaged from our lives because they were trying to find themselves.

According to our families, we were old when we got married. I was 28, and Scott was 27. Yep! I am the older woman! Ha!Ha! We are 11 months apart in age. We worked hard over the years, moved into a nice middle class neighborhood. Life has been good. The past five years we talked about having a family. About two years ago, we asked ourselves what were we waiting for? We were putting it off because we were waiting for the right moment. What is the right moment? We've traveled, we've had time to be together enjoyed each other's company and life together. We figured there is no right moment for us. We've accomplished most of our goals. Then about a year and half ago the biological clock started ticking loudly. This is the right moment. Ha!Ha!

I wonder how life will change as a parent? How will I change because I am parent? I l-o-v-e to sleep late on the weekends. This will probably be a luxury I will have to bribe Scott to allow me to do every now and then. I don't want to dis my parents. I believe they did the best they could in raising me, but I know I will be different. I know they will be different as grandparents than they were as parents because of the influence Scott and I have had on them. We have been fortunate to have them finally see life through their children's eyes, even though their children were grown. Will we have the same influence our children? What influence will they have on us?

A few years ago, Scott and I were the couple that would roll our eyes when we were placed near toddler children in a restaurant. We also would cringe of having airplane seats next to the screaming/crying kid. Flight attendant, drink please!

Amazing how things changed for us now that we WANT to be parents. When we are in a restaurant next to a toddler we make goofy faces at the child to attempt to make them grin. In stores, when a stroller passes by we can't help but look. We always say the same thing to the parents, "he/she is a cutie pie". In a plane, we offer to help give the parent a break and comfort the child.

When Scott and I were trying to have our biological children, we would imagine who our child would look like. A few days ago, Scott said when he daydreams, he now naturally imagines our children having Asian features. I admitted to him, I do to.

Homestudy at GWCA for Approval

2006-02-14T21:27:00.000-06:00

Our homestudy was sent to us Monday evening. Scott and I made the corrections and e-mailed them back to our SW that evening. Our SW e-mailed it to GWCA for final proofing and approval this morning. I believe it takes approximately ten business days to proof and approve.

The one thing I haven't mentioned is Scott and I are requesting non-twin siblings in addition to twins. We know siblings are even more rare than twins. We also are open to either gender with minor correctable health conditions, but want as healthy as possible. Basically, we are asking "them" to surprise us. Yes, Yes. We know there is a high probability we will get one girl. It doesn't hurt to ask.

An adoption experience from a fellow blogger, was brought up at his adoption meet-up. It wasn't HIS adoption experience, but what he witnessed while in China. A few adoptive parents from his small group found out they had SN children. I won't go into detail because it is archived on his blog. The topic of SN had me thinking.

First, let me start with saying my brother is severely mentally and physically challenged. He was born with a translocated chromosome (also called unbalanced carrier). I happened to be a balanced carrier. Meaning, I'm not effected, but can pass it on to my children. I've known I could have an effected child since I understood the birds and the bees. It was not hidden from me. I knew the risk we were taking when Scott and I attempted to have our own biological child. Our first attempt at children resulted in a loss due to the fetus (a boy) having this genetic condition.

When I was growing up, my family didn't know the severity of the conditions an unbalanced chromosome would cause. My mother told me I could have a child missing a foot or arm. The child may be blind or deaf. So, I've grown up with this expectation. I told myself I could handle it because my brother's situation is so much worse.

When Scott and I were dating and contemplating getting engaged. I wanted him to know what it means to have a child with me. I didn't want to hide anything. I also wanted to learn more since science had made so many advances. So we sat down with the geneticist who I counseled with when I was a child. (By the way, she is big time famous now). I learned that the outcomes of a full term successful pregnancy with an unbalanced chromosome child would be severe to very severe mental and physical challenges . There were no "mild" cases.

Getting back to what I really wanted to write about. Would Scott and I take an SN child if we got to China and found out there was a problem with our so called "healthy" referral?. The whole reason we were adopting was because we wanted a healthy child. Its a tough question we can't really answer. I am leaning toward saying yes because it isn't as severe as what my biological alternative would have been.

Final Docs Mailed to SW

2006-02-07T22:22:00.000-06:00

What a tremendous burden lifted. I finally was able to get Scott's physical examination from the doctor fixed. I went in last Friday and the doctor still hadn't filled out the last two questions. In his defense, the questions are kind of nested. I think the layout could be a little more clear. He was in the office and answered the last two questions.

I mailed the docs yesterday to our social worker and she received them today. The envelope only had to go a few blocks from the post office, but I was too lazy to Mapquest her address. I was also in a hurry because I had to go grab lunch for the vice president who decided at 10:59am she wanted lunch by 11:15am. The post office was near the restaurant where she wanted her lunch from.

I do have go back to the doctor and get the physical examination noted with the year Scott had surgery "as an infant". As if he remembers what year it was. We are going to guess it was the year he was born. The doctor also has to note on the exam form that the surgery is common for infants (something about 1 in 500 babies are born with this problem). THANK GOODNESS we don't need to get a letter from the doctor. GOSH! That would just have made things more difficult.

We should have our draft of the homestudy by the end of this week or beginning of next week. Yipee! Then after our approval, it is off to the case worker at GWCA. Then we can start the process of sending in our I-600A along with our homestudy. [We decided to wait until we had all the forms]

Elvis Has Left the Building

2006-01-29T16:35:00.000-06:00

Ms. Exec Admin to the VP was given an ultimatum on Friday afternoon [while I was out getting the doctor reports fixed] to shape up or ship out. She chose to leave the company immediately. I received a call on Friday evening from the director of our division to tell me I am immediately going to cover administrative assistance for the VP until a replacement is found. Which will probably be about two months.

I have a good opportunity to ask for more $$ and do both jobs. It would just be a matter of streamlining some processes and becoming more efficient & organized at work as well as at home. It is rather tempting. Scott thinks I should wait a week. The VP is traveling this week (doesn't mean I won't be busy -- I'll be joined at the hip via cell phone) and I have a good time to evaluate the climate.

Forget Where I Parked the Car

2006-01-28T16:07:00.000-06:00

How embarrassing. I walked around the grocery store parking lot for five minutes, lugging around the cart, trying to find my car. I decided to walk to the end of a row and walk past each row pointing my automatic door opener clicking the PANIC button. Hey! It was a panicking moment! The alarm went off. Whew!

When I go to a store I frequently shop at, I always park in the same row even if I have to park out further. This time, I was thinking to myself, I want a change, let me park my car ----> Over there.

Well, it turns out I really did park my car in the row I usually park. I forgot because I drove around trying to find another row to park in, but must have gravitated to my usual area. I guess I'm a creature of habit even though I say I like to be adventurous.

Thank goodness it is Wednesday

2006-01-25T20:33:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, Ms. executive adminstrator comes back from vacation. However, I know she is going to be put on corrective action / performance plan because the Big Boss has asked me to request a change in her passwords for the computer and telephone. I put a few calls into some other executive administrators to send me their resumes because I know someone (and didn't mention a department or manager) may be looking for an admin soon.

I have to be in the office early...8am. I know, I know. It doesn't seem early, but hey! I am used to walking into the office at 9:15am. Yes, I know, a very nice office to work at. Aye? Sales and Marketing have three clients coming in and I have to help out because one admin is sick with the flu and Ms. Exec Admin comes in from vacation not knowing about these meetings. Don't worry, I called in the forces. I asked an admin who works part-time to work a full day tomorrow.

Scott had to go get our doctor reports notarized. He was so proud of himself because he was able to help out. [ He doesn't know I called the doctors office early this morning to speak to the office manager to make sure all the papers were in order or to make sure to not let the doctors go to lunch until after they signed the docs in front of the notary. ] When he returned to the office, he called me to walk to his office to see the notorized documents. I walked into his office and he looked like a strutting peacock. Then I looked over the documents and quietly asked

ummm....honey...why did my doctor date this test 12/26/06?

and what about the two questions your doctor didn't answer?

The winds went out of his sail pretty quickly. I was trying to be so sensitive. Poor guy. He says "sweetheart, this is why you are responsible for the dossier. You're good at the small details."

Now, I have to go back this Friday to get them corrected. Crap! I know we are going to have to get these docs rewritten and notarized again because I have a gut feeling the scratch outs won't be accepted by our agency.

Stupid PC Tricks

2006-01-24T22:59:00.000-06:00

Warning. Reading this entry can be confusing if you are not computer technical.

Tonight I spent almost an hour trying to figure out why i-tunes wasn't connecting to the music store. I couldn't figure it out. I went on a huge google search for the answer.

First, I thought it could have been my firewall. I disabled it. Still I couldn't connect to the music store.

Then I ran across this fix which had to do with Microsoft Internet Explorer. It said I needed to go to internet explorer> internet options tabs > advanced tabs > check box SSL 2.0 & 3.0 All I could says was "WHAT?". Anyway, that didn't fix it, but then it dawned on me. I don't use IE as my default. I do use when I get a website which is ONLY "IE" compliant. Well, the last time I had used it was at work (I lug a laptop back and forth to work -- belongs to the company) and I had the settings set to my work settings. I changed the settings to connect to the house and all of a sudden I got a popup window that said "connecting to gmail account".

All I could say to myself before I even finished closing IE was "OMG. There is no way that an application is THAT highly integrated into using Internet Explorer's internet connection settings". How wrong I was. This fixed my i-tunes connectivity problem and my gmail dns connection problem.

30 minutes later, I am still in shock. Don't get me wrong. I like windows, but at work I also use a unix system. The company doesn't condone windows, but my department was acquired and they still live in a MS windows world. Hence, the reason why they buy each of their employees a laptop. They just stare at me when I get on my unix system and can type commands on a terminal line. The unix box is GUI based JDS over Solaris (giving a little hint of where I work).

Types Of Music I Like

2006-01-24T20:03:00.000-06:00

I'm into the 80's pop music. I may hide my real identity behind the name AndieG, but I am not afraid to say I am 35 years old, born in 1970. Suprisingly, I wasn't aware rock or pop existed until I was 14 years old when there was this all day outdoor school fitness day the first month of a school year. They had a DJ play music. I really wasn't paying attention until I heard the song from Footloose called Let's Here It for the Boy by Denise Williams. I was hooked.

I grew up on ranchero (Mexican style music) and country. My world was confined. We lived in the country where we didn't have cable and my parents had 8-track and cassette tapes. After hearing pop, my parents said I hit puberty.

As a mature woman, I can say I have became my parents. I love oldies. I was cracking Scott up by listening to Air Supply "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All". Now this song was prior to 1984, but I heard it on the movie Mr & Mrs Smith and had to go to i-Tunes and buy it. [Yes, I own an i-pod]

I am fond of the 80's, but I really like all kinds of music. The genre I have downloaded from i-Tunes ranges from Spanish pop to music from Kelly Clarkson.

I really don't listen to the words of songs. I am more into the beat and rhythm. However, Scott has a tendancy to "Weird Al Yankovic" a song. Then, I can never listen to the song again because all I can think about are the changed lyrics. For example. La Bouche's Be My Lover. Scott sings the lyrics "beat my blubber". That song will never be the same again!

Right now,I'm listening to Pat Benatar, We Belong. I really don't have a favorite artist or song, but Scott makes a gagging sound when I ask if I can play an ABBA song. I can't help it if my freshman year of college that my roommate was a senior from Europe! I had to grow up fast!

I think it is cool to listen to music before it hits mainstream America. I remember in college when I heard a song from Rozalla named "Everybody's Free To Feel Good". A friend of mine went to The Netherlands for a week on a school sponsored trip and brought that song back. I heard it about a year later in night clubs around Dallas/Ft.Worth. Then in 1993, I went to a wedding in Mexico. The night before the wedding, all us young folks went to a Mexican night club. We heard and learned The Macarena. It was about six months later before it reached the U.S.

Sometimes people say mathematics is the true language. I think it's music.

Working, Working, Working

2006-01-23T22:01:00.000-06:00

I don't have much to write about because I am exausted. I am covering for the executive administrator to the vice president AND doing my job. Let me just say that the exec admin doesn't do a good job and she has been told to find another job. So the admin is on vacation this week and I am cleaning up lots of crap because I refuse to let the vice president look like a fool. I've had to cover for her before and let me just say I pulled in sooooooo many hours. I was told by my boss that the VP really like my style and what would I think about moving into that position. I had to be very diplomatic in saying "no". Some jobs aren't worth it. Don't get me wrong. If it was junior executive, maybe I would have said yes. [Besides, I work for a director. At least they have a life and get home at somewhat decent hours] However, this VP has no discipline in saying "no" to anyone.. She says don't book more than 4 hours of meeting in her schedule, but then tells everyone "YES, see my administrator". Oh! And she makes her admin run personal errands such as getting lunch or getting her cell phone accessories. Egads! I've never heard of anything like that. I am purposely carpooling with Scott as much as possible this week. I'll even park in the back and tell her I carpooled so I can get out of getting lunch or running errands. Anyway, I'll be bringing home lots of moolah to help pay off the adoption loan. Fortunately, I can work from home in the evenings. WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY. Also, it doesn't hurt to be drinking a few glasses of wine while I peck away at the keyboard, pulling my hair out, trying to figure out how to not schedule her more than 4 hours worth of meetings each day.

I also feel stressed because the doctor call this morning with my blood test results. Everything is fine except my thyroid is slightly off. I need to go back in 2 months to get another blood test. She isn't going to note it on the medical report -- thank goodness. She has been very helpful because her first son is adopted domestically. So, she is familiar with all the scrutinizing. I need to take time off work to go meet the notary and get our reports signed on Wednesady. Scott isn't able to do it because he has a customer meeting. However, if it gets cancelled, then he'll go and take care of it. Needless to say I really don't have the time, but I am making this a priority. Hey! Family comes first! Which is why I wouldn't work for a senior executive.

(SIGH) is it Friday yet?

Tag, I'm it.

2006-01-19T20:17:00.000-06:00

Thanks for telling me what being tagged means. I was in the dark there for a while. I'm scared of the dark.

What were you doing ten years ago: I moved out to my first apartment. Worked two jobs to pay for rent and my car. Oh! and to go party. (Yes, I somehow found time to do that) Met my husband.

What were you doing one year ago: I got laid off a year ago. One day after being let go, I was picked up by another department.

Five snacks I enjoy:

1. banana chips
2. fruit leather
3. Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia
4. gourmet chocolate
5. Funions

Five things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Buy a yacht
2. set up schools around the world for underpriveleged girls
3. get a personal trainer
4. lyposuction
5. travel around the world in my own jet

Five bad habits:

1. biting my fingernails
2. not listening
3. leaving dirty clothes on the floor
4. piling shoes under my desk (that's where they're at!)
5. drinking a few sips of soda pop and then leaving the full can on the counter (drives Scott nuts!)

Five things I like doing:

1. blogging
2. reading
3. amusement parks
4. thrift store shopping
5. sleeping

Five things I would NEVER wear, buy, or get new again:

1. wear spandex pants (it's a right, not a priviledge)
2. buy a new car
3. pay full price for anything (my husband says I can find the 50%-75% off rack from a mile away)
4. buy a breadmaker (as if I ever make bread)
5. buy single-ply toilet paper
6. (this warrants a 6th item) wear a home hair perm again given to me by my grandmother. [Bless her heart. She made me look like a sheep dog. I didn't realize it until about 10 years later when I was looking at the pictures.]

Five favorite toys/games:

1. laptop computer
2. Merlin (that red electronic toy)
3. lemon twist
4. Scrabble
5. View Master

Call me dense, but I can't figure out the rest of this tag game. So I'll leave like this because I just may go cross-eyed from reading and re-reading the directions.

Literally Paperchasing

2006-01-19T19:41:00.000-06:00

Scott arrived home today to find a fedex note on the door. He didn't know what it was for. I tell ya, that man has left it up to me to do the paperchasing. I told him on Monday I had ordered his birth certificate through vitalchek. He obviously wasn't listening.

The note said they would attempt to re-deliver on Friday, but we both have meetings at work which we can't miss. After the second attempt, Fedex would return it to sender. Egads! So, we drove 30 miles to theFedEx station to pick it up this evening. He told me it gives new meaning to paperchasing.

I've Been Tagged

2006-01-18T14:53:00.000-06:00

AND I have no idea what it means. I've been tagged by Story of Ava. I'm a newbie when it comes to blogging. Drop me a comment if you know what it means. What am I supposed to do? I'm feeling foolish at this moment because ignorance is not bliss.

Went to the doctor and got a clean bill of health. Getting my blood drawn was not painful. I closed my eyse and thought about Point Lobos in Carmel/Big Sur. Felt like a fire ant sting, but I think fire ants hurt worse. The technician was pretty good.

It will be a few days before the blood test results come back. I was told the HIV test could take a week. Lovely! I was hoping to have the doctor paper notarized by this Friday. I'm going to have to give my husband's doctor another blank form because the technician accidently wrote my blood pressure information on his form. Then she scratched it out and signed her initials. I saw red flags going up at CCAA with that mess up. Besides, I think doctors have really bad handwriting. Might as well have them do it. Why can't they have tiny computers in their patient offices or carry a laptop and just print it out? I think their offices are so far behind in technology.

This whole adoption process is a lesson in patience.

Southern Hospitality

2006-01-17T14:45:00.000-06:00

Today, I received the certified birth card from Louisiana. The Secretary of State office created a new fedex airbill which put my address as the returning address. How nice of them. I was really worried since I put the Secretary of State as the returning address.

Now I know, since I am going to have to do this again when Scott's birth certificate arrives. I wish I found out the opening of the vital records office sooner. If I recall correctly, VitalChek just put out the notice the first week of January that the office is open for expedited processing through them.

I-600 update: I am sending the form in without the home study and Scott's birth certificate. Instead, I am sending in a copy of his birthcard and the signature page of his passport along with a letter stating the reason why I sent a birthcard.

I'll send Scott's birth certificate when it comes in. It should arrive at about the same time as our homestudy. It is better to have too much information than too little information.

Tomorrow, Scott and I have our doctor appointments to complete our medical form. We can't get our homestudy report completed without that document. I'm not looking forward to getting my blood drawn. I hate anything with a needle. I can feel my heart beating faster and the anxiety setting in as I type this. I just have to remember it is a few seconds of "ouch" for a lifetime of hugs.

I-600A Processing Times

2006-01-15T11:13:00.000-06:00

I am torn between sending in my I-600A now or sending it in when we get our homestudy. I have posted a question on a newsgroup about processing time with San Antonio. I heard from two people who have opposite experiences with San Antonio. One person sent in their homestudy along with their I600A and it took 6 months. The other sent it in prior to the homestudy, then they submitted their homestudy when it was done and it took 3 months from submitting the form. Now, I don't know what the extenuating circumstances are of the person who had to wait 6 months. I didn't ask if there were problems with their paperwork.

San Antonio won't make an appointment for fingerprints without the homestudy. However, at an FCC waiting families luncheon, I heard if we submit it in now, then send in our homestudy at a later date, CIS will append it to our file while we are still moving up the queue and not losing time.

I still haven't received Scott's birth certificate from Louisiana. I do remember sending this in with a return regular stamped envelope with the old postage price ( I remembered last night) Well, crap! I went to vitalchek and Louisiana was reopened December 6th and taking expedited request. Yippee!! I ordered an expedited birth certificate. It will get here in about a week and half.

Now, should I wait to send in the I-600A with the photocopy of the birthcard and passport signature page along with an explanation of why we are sending a birthcard or should I wait until the birth certificate arrives? I heard there was this infamous officer Bruno who waits 6 to 8 weeks before telling the parents there is something wrong with their paperwork.

Ahhhh, decisions, decisions. I'll probably send it in this week since they aren't even processing January I-600A's . At least I'll get in a queue. Then when I get Scott's birth certificate, I'll mail it in along with the homestudy. Better to have too much supporting information than none. I found this website https://egov.immigration.gov/cris/jsps/ptimes.jsp? which shows what dates district offices are processing. The website seems to be updated every month around the 15th.

If anyone has any recent experience with San Antonio, please leave a comment.

Go back to Start and Draw Again

2006-01-13T19:01:00.000-06:00

Today, at work, it was rather slow. As a matter of fact, my boss told me to go home at noon. Well, I decided to stay and work on our dossier. I decided to re-read the manual and see if I missed something. Oh Crap! I made a mistake.

Before I go on, let me tell you why I think I am making mistakes. I LIKE TO SKIP TO THE BACK OF A NOVEL AND READ THE ENDING THEN READ THE BOOK. If the book is boring, I will gloss over the non-exciting parts instead of trashing it. It drives my husband nuts to watch me read a book. The exception to this rule is anything Jane Austen or Harry Potter.

So, I'm skimming through the manual and come across the statement about the employment verification letter. Ah, Heck! I didn't ask our employer (Scott and I work for the same company) to put a comment about prospective continued employment. AND guess what? I sent off our employement letters to get certified in CA on Monday.

You want to hear something scary? GWCA sends out a newsletter with dossier tips of the week. When I booted my computer this evening at home, in my inbox was waiting the tip of the week. Today's tip, Employment Letter (and Financial Statement). How weird is that?

Anyway, the e-mail states we should fax or e-mail the dossier consultant the documents before sending them off for certification. I KNEW I could do that, but I was trying to be self-sufficient. Now I am out a few stamps and $40 for certification fees. From now on, I'll send them the documents prior to starting the certification. Fortunately, I only have two docs which need to go out of state for certification and authentication. The rest need to be certified in Austin and authenticated in Houston.

The birthcard I sent to LA to get certified may get sent back to me unprocessed. I put the secretary of state address as the sender's address on my returning fedex airbill. I was reading the LA website and it said do not list secretary of state as sender on return label. I pondered what a return label was for a few days. It's like looking at a word you are writing and you think you misspelled it, but it just doesn't look correct. To make a long story short, I put the secretary of state's name and address on my returning airbill. Maybe it will escape under the radar.

So we have lost a whole week of progress on our dossier. You're probably wondering where Scott is during this whole process. Hmmm....I dunno. I guess I am doing a good enough job at screwing up, we don't need two people messing up. He has been supportive and doesn't criticize me when I goof up. He's been basically saying the dollar amount lost is such a small amount compared to the total cost of the adoption. He's read the manual and knows it is difficult to follow. He told me to consider it part of the pain of being paper pregnant. The end result is we are bonding with our unknown child(ren) during the paperchase, just as if we were biologically pregnant. When I was pregnant, we found ourselves constantly touching and caressing the belly. Now that we are trying to complete our dossier, we find ourselves patting and hugging the document folder.

Homestudy Visits Completed

2006-01-12T18:39:00.000-06:00

We swore we wouldn't be one of THOSE people who make their house spotless for the SW house homestudy visit. [ if you recall from an earlier blog entry, our first homstudy session was at a coffee shop, so no pressure to clean the house] (SIGH) Last night, we rented a steam cleaner and steamed cleaned the gameroom, office, and living room. Today, our housecleaning service arrived few hours prior to the SW visit. Oh my gosh! We became one of THOSE people.

The SW walked in and did a tour of the whole house and backyard. I am SOOOOO glad the house was picked up because I was only expecting her to look at the rooms which would become the kid's rooms. The SW did ask if our house was always this clean. Was it that obvious? I told her we did clean up on regular basis and contract to have the house cleaned once a week.

When she left, I broke the silence and said to Scott, "Honey, I'm glad you picked up your underwear from the bathroom floor." Ha!Ha!

Normally, the guest bedrooms (which will become the children's bedrooms) are a complete mess. Since, I've been having trouble sleeping, the bed was unmade until the cleaning service made up the bed. In the other guest bedroom, we usually use it as a catch all room for exercise equipment, sewing machine, small TV, digital piano, and ironing laundry. I rearranged it this morning and put things in a somewhat organized arrangment. The SW described this room as the "hobby room". Hah! Never thought of describing it as that type of room.

The SW said it would take two weeks to write up her report, but she needs our medical reports. We have our appointment next week and then it takes a few days for the blood work to come back, so we'll have it to to her when she wrapping up the homestudy report. She'll then send us the report for our review. If we approve of the report she wrote, then it will be sent to GWCA for approval.

I need to fill out and send our I600A, but I have been holding off doing it because it is such a large chunk of change I will have to part with.

Gumbo

2006-01-08T08:37:00.000-06:00

Nothing cures the sniffles like a good homemade soup. Last week when I started to feel the onset of cedar pollen allergies I got this hankering for chicken and sausage gumbo. I was hesitant at first considering everytime I make it it doesn't comes out as good as Scott's mom or grandmother's recipe. I had my husband go purchase sausage and chicken. I then slaved at a cutting board for nearly 30 minutes cutting up all the vegetable and then stood over a hot stove for nearly another hour, on a ladder, peering into a huge pot making a roux. The rest of the processes took another hour. Then the soup had to simmer. You can't make gumbo for one meal because of the large amount of time it takes to make this tasty Cajun dish. I don't make gumbo very often because it is a labor of love. This time, it was well worth it. This was the best gumbo I ever made. It exceeded our expectations. Scott commented it could rival his mom and grandmother's gumbo. Since I made such a large amount, I had to freeze the majority of it in meal portion containers.

Scott thinks I'm becoming quite the chef. My Christmas dinner of rib roast, asparagus, homemade rolls, and roasted garlic potatoes came out perfect. Now I have mastered gumbo.

Scott asked what we are having tonight and I replied gumbo!

Passports Came In

2006-01-07T20:28:00.000-06:00

Today our passports arrived. Wow! That was fast. I mean, we DID pay for expedited service, but we were told it would take 3-4 weeks for expedited service because there was a backlog. We considered regular service, but it would have taken over 6 weeks. I can't believe how small they are. Another hurdle out of the way.

I sent off our employement verifications to California to get them certified. Scott and I work for the same company, but different departments. The company's headquarters are located in California and they have many sister campuses around the world. Before I sent off the verifications, I visited the usps.gov site to see if they had a trackable type envelope, but didn't see anything. I took a chance and put a self addressed 39 cent stamp so the CA state department could send back the certified documents. I am taking a chance, but the post office hasn't lost a single credit card invoice. The bill has always managed to end up in our mailbox at the same time every month.

A little later that day, I was visiting forums.adoption.com China Adoptions and there was a thread saying the expedited mail service has an tracking number. How the heck did I miss that? I must have glossed over the information. I have to send Scott's birthcard to New Orleans to get certified. I am definately using expedited service the return envelope.

I know the birthcard isn't the same as a birth certificate, but I've been waiting forever for his birth certificate. The New Orleans vital records archive is working at a snail's pace because of the limited man power available. I was told by the adoption agency we can create a notarized letter explaining why he doesn't have birth certificate. It can't hurt to try to get the birthcard certified. Hopefully, it won't take too long. I was told 4-5 weeks which in the scheme of things is just another month.

The rest of our documents are from Texas. Fortunately, we live in Austin where the department of state is located. Its just a short drive and about a 2 hour wait.

Cedar Fever

2006-01-06T00:45:00.000-06:00

Itchy water eyes, sneezing, and sinus headaches. Ahhhh, it that time of the year when many Texans suffer from cedar fever. I am one of the lucky ones to be severely effected. Which is why I haven't had a chance to blog in a while.

Let me give you a history of the cedar tree. It really isn't a cedar but a mountain juniper tree scientificly knows as Juniperus ashei. The tree pollenates mid-December to mid-February with the peak of the pollen blooming around the first three weeks of January. The male trees begin their mating ritual by creating amber colored cones no bigger than the size of a grain of rice. The whole tree takes on the color of rust. Where I live there are lots of hills which are infested with this scourge of a tree. When the wind blows, the forest of trees look like they are on fire as the wind carries clouds of pollen into the path of female trees which have sticky, rice sized, green cones to make...well you get the point. I have to admit it is a pretty awesome site to look out the comfort of a hepa filtered, air-conditioned, room or windowed office and witnesses these trees procreating. If I ever ran for a local government office my campaign would revolve around annahilating all cedar trees.

So anyway, I've been blessed with my mother's genes of being a year round allergy sufferer. I refuse to take weekly shots because I am scared of needles. On a daily basis for the last two years I have taken a prescribed nasal spray to control spring hay fever and fall ragweed which has really cut down on sinus infections caused by congestion I develope from all the sneezing I endure. During the summer, I don't have to take the nasal spray and can enjoy the Texas hot summers with ease. When mid-December rolls around, I start including a daily dose of 24 hr Claritin. It works fine, until the end of December or beginning of January when the cedar trees start pollenating. Then I have to switch to Claritin-D which has interesting side effects.

I don't know which is worse:

Without Medication

sneezing
itchy, water eyes
stuffy head
sore, red, nose
chapped lips

With Medication

disconnected feeling
tingly scalp
dry mouth
insomnia (which accounts for this entry)
no libido (Scott hates this effect)
occassional sneezing when pollen count is really high
nasal congestion when the pollen count is really high
dry itchy eyes relieved by natural tear eye drops

Not only am I cranky, my husband is cranky because I am the most unbearable person to live with during this time period. We basically have to sleep in separate rooms because I toss and turn all night from insomnia and then when I do sleep my nasal congestion causes me to snore loudly. I have no sex drive-- need I say more? Oh, then when I start PMSing, he chooses to stay out of my way completely because I am just one crying, angry, sneezing, sleep deprived, bitchy woman.

I manage to keep my composure at work, but when I get home, I have a tendency to let it all out. I'm surprised we aren't divorced. He has confessed that there have been years when he was about to resort to that measure to release him of his misery. Like the time when he and I were between houses. You know when you sold one house, but your new house isn't finished? We ended up living in a one bedroom apartment because it was only supposed to be for a couple of months. That couple of months stretched to 6 months. When cedar fever hit during our 5th month in that apartment , I had to sleep on the couch. To top it off, my congestion turned to bronchitis and I had fits of coughing. The coughs could be heard throughout the tiny apartment and probably by our neighbors. After 2 weeks of no sleep and my husband at the brink of his patience level, my doctor prescribed a cough suppressant which pretty much knocked me out for the next 2 weeks. I was still sick when we signed the papers to our new house.

So honey, if you are reading this blog entry, please forgive me over the next 4 weeks, for I know not what I do. The medicine did it.

Home Study 1 & 2

2005-12-29T13:26:00.000-06:00

We are supposed to have four homestudy sessions.

Husband & Wife
Husband
Wife
Family (which will be another couple because we don't have children)

Today we did the individual husband and wife interviews. It wasn't at home -- funny, aye? We met our SW at a local coffee shop. I wasn't nervous and each of our interviews took about 35 minutes.

On my homestudy autobiography, I didn't put a lot of information about my employement history, so the SW would like for me to send her my resume. We also have to submit e-mail addresses of our references so she can send them some questions. DH really dislikes asking friends for help.

Scott and I still need to go get our medical examinations. I'm not looking forward to the examinations because I am the biggest wimp when it comes to needles. I actually start crying while waiting in the waiting room. Imagine when we have to go get our hep A & B series of immunizations. I'll be blubbering the whole time. I'm also not looking forward to getting weighed. I think I gained five pounds over the Christmas holidays. I know five pounds doesn't sound a lot, but it makes a difference because of my height.

I also have to start the certification of my documents, but I need to call the agency and find out if there are going to be changes in January 2006 with China entering the Hague Convention. I think that documents are apostillized rather than certified.

Passports

2005-12-27T20:12:00.000-06:00

Today, DH and I went to to the post office where we could get our passports. I must say that my picture for my passport came out really nice. DH said his looks like his usual self, but nothing spetacular. We purchased extra copies of our pictures for our dossier.

Two weeks ago when I went to pick up the applications there wasn't a line. Today, we had to wait an hour. I guess a lot of people have this week off.

While we were waiting for the clerk to fill out some of our paperwork, my husband told me he wishes we could get our passports faster than the 3 week expedited fee. The clerk said, we could have driven to Houston and stood in line a few hours to have it expedited same day... or something to that comments. DH says he would have liked to do that since we were off this week. This would also give him a reason to stop by and visit family. Upon arriving home, I checked with the passport website and we could have expedited same day service if we were traveling within 14 days. We wouldn't have qualified for the service.

Needless to say, we did pay the expedited fee and spent all of our anniversary celebration money. Happy 7 year anniversary, Honey!

Twas The Night Before Christmas (Eve)

2005-12-26T14:57:00.000-06:00

... and my step-mother calls me to tell me my half-sister isn't going to show up for Christmas because her son's grandmother is sick -- sis decided to remain friends with her son's father and family and not get married.

When my step-mother calls me it is always something sad or negative. Either someone died, is sick, or she has something on her mind that she HAS tell me.

After a few minutes of conversation about my sister, my step-mother throws a curve ball and ask "So, why don't you adopt from Mexico instead of China?" Where the heck did that come from? I basically told her that in China, we know we will get a child within 2 years and once we travel to China the child is ours. End of story. Easy and sweet. I didn't see that one coming, believe me. Oh well. I love her and accept the fact she may be a little closed minded. I don't foresee her rejecting our daughter. She is probably concerned how we will explain to our child why she doesn't look like Daddy, Mommy, and the rest of the family.

My father couldn't be happier. I think he does have concerns about how our child will fit into society with parents who look different, but he knows we are capable of handling it. Besides, his great-grandmother was Chinese, so it doesn't bother him too much.

I did let both my father and step-mother know we already know couples within a 5 mile radius of our home who are in the process or have adopted from China. Our child will know other families who have similar experiences.